Washington Examiner
· collected 2026-08-26 · by Rep. Rich McCormick
The article is written from a first-person perspective by a Marine who served over 20 years in the United States Marine Corps and Navy, reflecting on the anniversary of Abbey Gate, where 13 American service members were killed in 2021 during the withdrawal from Afghanistan. The author argues that the disaster at Abbey Gate was not a military failure, but rather a betrayal by the Biden administration due to incompetent leadership. The article does not provide specific numbers or statistics, but emphasizes the human cost of the war and the importance of honoring the sacrifices of American service members and their families. The author calls for transparency and accountability from leaders, including an honest accounting of the decisions that led to Kabul's collapse.
Written by the local model on 2026-08-26,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Five years ago, on August 26, 2021, a suicide bomber detonated a vest at the Abbey Gate of Kabul airport in Afghanistan, killing 13 U.S. service members and approximately 160 civilians. The attack was carried out by ISIS-K, and it marked one of the final days of the chaotic withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan.
Since then, the families of those killed have struggled to cope with their loss. Mark Schmitz, a gold star father, said that "it doesn't get any easier" but rather gets different as time passes. He and his family have channeled their grief into starting a non-profit organization called Freedom 13, which aims to build camps for first responders, veterans, and their families.
Others, like Rep. Rich McCormick, have criticized the Biden administration's handling of the withdrawal from Afghanistan. McCormick, who served in the Marines and Navy for over 20 years, says that the collapse of Afghanistan was a "betrayal" by the administration.
A new documentary, "The Path to Zero," has shed light on the chaotic evacuation efforts, showing footage of Afghan forces turning their guns on civilians and local allies being slaughtered by the Taliban. The film also highlights how Abdul Rahman al-Logari, the ISIS-K member who carried out the Abbey Gate bombing, was released from prison after U.S. troops left Afghanistan.
Rep. Matt Van Epps has questioned why there has been no apology for the Biden administration's role in arming the Taliban and contributing to the chaos that unfolded in Kabul. The U.S. had spent over $2 trillion on the fight against the Taliban in Afghanistan, resulting in more than 2,400 American lives lost.
Written for “US Withdrawal from Afghanistan” on 2026-08-31,
grounded in this article and the 3 other(s) covering the same event.
Five years ago, 13 American service members were killed at Abbey Gate during the final, chaotic days of America’s withdrawal from Afghanistan.
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members → kill → Afghanistan
Eleven Marines, one soldier, and one sailor reported for duty that day, surrounded by thousands of desperate people trying to escape a country falling back into Taliban control.
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Marines → report → control
At 5:36 p.m. on Aug. 26, 2021, an ISIS-K terrorist detonated a suicide bomb in the crowd, killing those 13 Americans and countless Afghan civilians.
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terrorist → detonate → Americans
I served over 20 years in the United States Marine Corps and Navy, deploying to combat zones in Africa, the Persian Gulf, and Afghanistan.
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I → serve → Africa
In Kandahar, I led the emergency medicine department and felt the cost of war: lost limbs, traumatic brain injuries, and catastrophic wounds that changed young Americans’ lives forever.
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that → lead → lives
For two decades, Americans answered the call to protect freedom in Afghanistan.
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Americans → answer → Afghanistan
Some never came home.
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Some → come → ?
Others returned with wounds, both visible and invisible, that they will carry for the rest of their lives, and their families will carry those burdens with them.
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families → return → them
As the Taliban swept across the country and reclaimed Kabul, we saw images of desperate Afghans clinging to an American aircraft as it fled the chaos.
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it → sweep → chaos
For those of us who served there, these were not distant images on a television screen.
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these → serve → screen
They brought back the faces of those we treated, the friends we lost, and the sacrifices we made.
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we → bring → those
Then came Abbey Gate.
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Gate → come → ?
The 13 Americans killed that day were carrying out an extraordinarily dangerous mission.
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Americans → kill → mission
They were helping American citizens and vulnerable Afghans escape an impossible situation created by incompetent leadership.
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citizens → help → leadership
Despite credible threats, they remained at their posts because people were depending on them.
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people → remain → them
Their courage must never be diminished by the failures of leadership that placed them in such a dangerous position.
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that → diminish → position
The withdrawal was not a failure of the men and women wearing the uniform; it was a failure of decision-making in Washington.
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it → wear → Washington
America’s leaders must show the same devotion to duty as our men and women in uniform.
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leaders → show → uniform
When we send our sons and daughters into harm’s way, we assume a sacred obligation to them and their families.
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we → send → them
Their lives can never become figures on a spreadsheet, and their names cannot be invoked once a year before a crowd at a rally.
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names → become → rally
America must never take the sacrifice of its warriors for granted.
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America → take → warriors
We must be deliberate when sending them into danger, provide clear missions and sound planning, and demand answers when their leaders fail.
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leaders → send → answers
We owe them more.
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We → owe → more
We owe the Gold Star families of Abbey Gate the full truth.
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We → owe → truth
We owe Afghanistan veterans an honest accounting of the Biden administration’s decisions that preceded Kabul’s collapse.
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that → owe → collapse
And we owe the next generation of American warriors and leaders better.
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we → owe → warriors
Accountability will not bring back the 13 Americans killed at Abbey Gate or remove the pain their families carry.
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families → bring → pain
It matters because memory without action is not enough.
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memory → matter → action
If we refuse to learn from our failure, we risk asking another generation to pay the same terrible price.
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we → refuse → price
The story of Afghanistan must not be reduced to the way the war ended.
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war → reduce → way
For 20 years, American service members fought bravely, treated the wounded, hunted terrorists, protected one another, and answered the call of freedom.
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members → fight → freedom
Nothing that happened in August 2021 can erase the honor of their service.
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that → happen → service
On August 26, we remember the 13 heroes killed at Abbey Gate.
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we → remember → Gate
We remember their families and every American who served in Afghanistan.
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who → remember → Afghanistan
We also remember the burden carried at home, and we cherish their sacrifice by learning from the failures that led to those devastating final days.
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that → remember → days
We will remember their courage.
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We → remember → courage
We will insist on accountability.
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We → insist → accountability
We will learn from this failure.
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We → learn → failure
And we will never forget Abbey Gate, because their sacrifice and our responsibility do not end there.
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sacrifice → forget → Gate
Dr. Rich McCormick is a decorated veteran and Emergency Room physician who proudly serves Georgia’s 7th Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives.
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who → decorate → Representatives
…and 1 more, not listed.
