Pentagon Upgrades Awards for Marines After Abbey Gate Attack

On August 26, 2026, the Pentagon honored three Marines for their valor during the Abbey Gate attack in Kabul, Afghanistan. This recognition comes five years after the incident, which occurred during the final days of the U.S. military’s withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.

Retired Gunnery Sergeant Jonathan Eby, retired Lance Corporal Jordan Houston, and retired Corporal Michael Gretzon were stationed outside Abbey Gate when a lone ISIS-K suicide bomber detonated explosives, leading to the deaths of 13 U.S. service members and 170 Afghan civilians. Despite the chaos, these Marines provided critical care to the wounded and helped process evacuees.

Eby and Houston received the Bronze Star Medal with a valor device, while Gretzon was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with a valor device. These awards highlight specific acts of courage against enemy forces, distinct from general military service honors.

Initially, Houston and Eby were approved for Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals with combat devices, and Gretzon for a Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal with a combat device. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth commended their actions, describing them as “the pinnacle of combat heroism.”

Eby’s award citation noted that he took command to reestablish security and evacuate the injured after many of his platoon members were wounded or killed. Houston, despite being injured, pulled several wounded Marines to safety amidst gunfire and tear gas. Gretzon played a vital role in crowd control to ensure the evacuation of critically injured individuals.

The names of the 13 service members who perished in the attack were also remembered. This group includes Staff Sgt. Taylor Hoover, Sgt. Nicole Gee, Sgt. Johanny Rosario Pichardo, Cpl. Daegan Page, Cpl. Hunter Lopez, Cpl. Humberto Sanchez, Lance Cpl. Rylee McCollum, Lance Cpl. Jared Schmitz, Lance Cpl. Kareem Nikoui, Lance Cpl. David Espinoza, Lance Cpl. Dylan Merola, Navy Hospital Corpsman Third Class Maxton Soviak, and Army Staff Sgt. Ryan Knauss.

Following the bombing, an investigation concluded that the attack was unavoidable and those in charge acted appropriately. Defense Secretary Hegseth has initiated an Afghanistan Withdrawal Special Review Panel to conduct an exhaustive after-action review. Led by Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell, this panel aims to deliver its findings by year’s end. In conjunction with Congress’s Afghan War Commission, lessons and recommendations will be derived from the 20-year conflict, which concluded with the Taliban’s return to power in 2021.

A suspect in the bombing has appeared in U.S. court after extradition, marking another step in the aftermath of this tragic event.