Marine Corps Upgrades Valor Awards for Company G, 2/1 Marines Who Held Abbey Gate During Biden’s Failed Afghanistan Withdrawal
In May 2025, The Gateway Pundit reported that Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced a full investigation into Biden’s failed 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal.
On August 26, 2021, the Biden Administration led a withdrawal from the country, where they allowed hundreds of ISIS militants to surround Kabul airport. Suicide bombings were reported amid the chaos as Afghans attempted to enter the airport and flee the Taliban, leading to the death of 13 U.S. service members and 170 civilians.
The Biden Administration left the country in the hands of the Taliban, Al-Qaeda, ISIS-K, and the Al-Qanni terrorists, including $85 billion worth of U.S. military equipment and Black Hawk Helicopters.
Additionally, The Gateway Pundit readers recall that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Joint Chiefs Chairman Mark Milley, and CentCom Commander General Kenneth McKenzie all knew about the Kabul Airport terrorist bombing at the Abbey Gate hours in advance.
American heroes confirmed to The Gateway Pundit that although U.S. brass knew the suicide bomber was in the area of the Airport, military brass would not let them take him out.
As the Afghanistan Withdrawal Special Review Panel continues to review the circumstances around the catastrophic failure, Chief Pentagon Spokesman and Senior Advisor to the Department of War Sean Parnell announced that the valor awards for the Marines of Company G, 2d Battalion, 1st Marines, who stood at Abbey Gate, have been upgraded.
Parnell shared, “Following the Afghanistan Withdrawal Special Review Panel’s recommendation and at the direction of Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, the United States Marine Corps has upgraded the valor awards for the Marines of Company G, 2d Battalion, 1st Marines, who stood at Abbey Gate on 26 August 2021. After reviewing the original awards and determining that several had been inappropriately downgraded, these awards have now been upgraded to levels that more accurately reflect the extreme risk these Marines knowingly accepted and the lives they saved under direct enemy fire.”
“The Marines at Abbey Gate were positioned in the direct blast zone with minimal cover, fully aware of an imminent suicide attack, yet they held their ground to keep evacuation operations running. Their actions that day were heroic. The original awards did not reflect that reality. Today’s upgrades correct that injustice.”
“This outcome would not have happened without the personal leadership and commitment of Under Secretary of War for Personnel & Readiness Anthony Tata and Senior Advisor Stu Scheller who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure these Marines receive the recognition they deserve. Mr. Scheller personally shepherded this effort, driving the process forward until justice was done.
This outcome also demonstrates what the Afghanistan Withdrawal Special Review Panel was created to do: examine the full record, identify where the system failed our warfighters, and ensure accountability and fairness. The Department of War, under President Trump and Secretary Hegseth, is committed to getting this right. We will not allow valor performed at the point of friction to be diminished by bureaucratic or administrative shortcomings.”
“To the Marines of Company G and to every service member who stood at Abbey Gate: your actions were seen, your sacrifice was measured correctly, and your valor is now properly recognized.”
“The Panel will continue its broader work to ensure the lessons from 2021 are learned and that we never again place our warfighters in positions where their courage is not fully honored.”
“We owe the American people, the families of the fallen, and every service member who served in Afghanistan nothing less than the truth and the corrections that truth demands.”
STATEMENT:
Following the Afghanistan Withdrawal Special Review Panel’s recommendation and at the direction of Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, the United States Marine Corps has upgraded the valor awards for the Marines of Company G, 2d Battalion, 1st Marines, who stood at Abbey…
— Sean Parnell (@SeanParnellASW) April 22, 2026
The attack left 13 U.S. service members dead:
- Sgt. Johanny Rosario Pichardo, 25, of Lawrence, Massachusetts
- Sgt. Nicole L. Gee, 23, of Sacramento, California
- Staff Sgt. Darin T. Hoover, 31, of Salt Lake City, Utah
- Cpl. Hunter Lopez, 22, of Indio, California
- Cpl. Daegan W. Page, 23, of Omaha, Nebraska
- Cpl. Humberto A. Sanchez, 22, of Logansport, Indiana
- Lance Cpl. David L. Espinoza, 20, of Rio Bravo, Texas
- Lance Cpl. Jared M. Schmitz, 20, of St. Charles, Missouri
- Lance Cpl. Rylee J. McCollum, 20, of Jackson, Wyoming
- Lance Cpl. Dylan R. Merola, 20, of Rancho Cucamonga, California
- Lance Cpl. Kareem M. Nikoui, 20, of Norco, California
- Navy Corpsman Maxton W. Soviak, 22, of Berlin Heights, Ohio
- Staff Sgt. Ryan C. Knauss, 23, of Corryton, Tennessee
Mohammad Sharifullah, also known as “Jafar,” is in federal custody for the bombing.
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