Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has upgraded the awards for three Marines who served during the Aug. 26, 2021, Abbey Gate bombing in Kabul, Afghanistan, asserting that the Biden administration had delayed proper recognition to avoid political fallout.
During a ceremony at the Pentagon marking the five-year anniversary of the attack, which killed 13 U.S. service members and 170 Afghan civilians, Hegseth stated that bureaucratic caution or political motivations had hindered the Marines' recognition for half a decade.
"A military that downplays its frontline heroes to avoid uncomfortable political truths only projects weakness," Hegseth said. "For too long, leadership in this capital city failed to match that frontline courage with administrative backbone, inappropriately downgrading the original award submissions that these men rightfully deserved."
Hegseth awarded Bronze Star Medals with "V" devices for valor to Gunnery Sgt. Jonathan Eby and Lance Cpl. Jordan Houston. Corporal Michael Gretzon received the Navy & Marine Corps Commendation Medal with a "V" device.
These Marines were part of a battalion tasked with airport security during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, a mission that faced a surge of desperate civilians attempting to flee the country. They maintained their positions in the direct blast zone with minimal cover, aware of an imminent suicide threat, to protect their fellow service members and evacuees.
The Abbey Gate bombing occurred during a period of intense criticism regarding the execution of the U.S. withdrawal. The Biden administration had previously stated that its hands were tied by the 2020 Doha Agreement, negotiated by the Trump administration, which set a withdrawal deadline without a clear transition plan.
Former President Donald Trump, at the time between White House terms, criticized the withdrawal as a "grossly incompetent SURRENDER," placing responsibility on President Biden. Trump later hosted families of the fallen service members and facilitated the arrest of an individual identified as being behind the Abbey Gate attack.