Biden attends dignified transfer of those killed in Kabul bombing

Following the horrendous suicide bombing on Thursday, near the Abbey Gate of Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, President Joe Biden attended the dignified transfer of the service members who died.

Gathering for those killed in the bombing

President Biden closed eyes and aimed his head down as caskets began to flow out, one by one, from an Air Force C-17 at Dover Air Force Base on Sunday. President Biden was joined by First Lady Jill Biden, Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III, and senior military officials, as U.S. troops carried out the remains of the fallen.

The 11 Marines who passed have been identified as Nicole Gee, Rylee McCollum, Dylan Merola, Kareem Nikoui, Jared Schmitz, Humberto Sanchez, Hunter Lopez, Taylor Hoover, Daegan Page, Johanny Rosario Pichardo, and David Lee Espinoza.

The other two U.S. service members killed in the attack, Navy Hospitalman Max Soviak and Army Staff Sgt. Ryan Knauss, were also among those transferred on Sunday.

Those who died in the bombing ranged from 20- to 31-years-old. These individuals came from places spread out all over the country, but are united in the fact that they are now gone too soon.

According to military officials, the Dover Fisher House, which is meant to house grieving families of the fallen, was over capacity. So, some loved ones were forced to remain off base until after the transfer was completed.

In a statement on Saturday, President Biden said, “The 13 service members that we lost were heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice in service of our highest American ideals and while saving the lives of others. Their bravery and selflessness has enabled more than 117,000 people at risk to reach safety thus far. May God protect our troops and all those standing watch in these dangerous days.”

Thursday’s ISIS-K-claimed attack was the most lethal incident involving U.S. service members in Afghanistan in a decade. The worst attack in Afghanistan prior to Thursday was the RPG blast that killed 30 American troops and eight Afghans, in August 2011.