Pentagon Honors Three U.S. Service Members for Kabul Airport Bombing Response
The U.S. Department of Defense said that, five years after the deadly bombing at Kabul airport’s Abbey Gate, the military awards of three U.S. Navy personnel have been upgraded for their actions during and after the attack.
Under the decision, Jonathan Eiby and Jordan Huston, two retired U.S. Navy members, have each been awarded the Bronze Star Medal with Valor. Michael Gretzon, another retired Navy member, has also had his award upgraded to the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with Valor.
The three service members were present near Abbey Gate at Kabul International Airport during the explosion on Aug. 26, 2021. According to the Pentagon, after the blast they helped the wounded and continued managing the crowd of people waiting to be evacuated, despite the chaos and risks.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth described their response at the medal ceremony as an example of the “pinnacle of battlefield bravery.” According to the citations for the medals, Eiby took command after the explosion, when several members of his unit had been killed or wounded, and moved to restore security and evacuate the injured.
Huston, despite being injured and affected by the blast wave, also moved several wounded personnel to a safe location. Gretzon likewise continued crowd control from a vulnerable position to allow those with more serious injuries to be moved.
The Abbey Gate explosion, which was claimed by the Islamic State group, killed 13 U.S. service members and about 170 Afghan civilians. The attack took place in the final days of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, at the height of the crowding around Kabul airport.
The Pentagon also said a special review into the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan is still under way and is expected to be completed by the end of this year. Abbey Gate was one of the main entry points to Kabul airport during the 2021 evacuation operation, which followed the Taliban’s return to power and was marked by widespread disorder and severe overcrowding.
