As the last American soldier leaves Afghanistan, the country mourns the fallen. Restaurants and drinking establishments across the United States set aside areas with 13 beers to honor fallen soldiers of the recent suicide bombing at the airport in Kabul, Afghanistan. In turn, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R), a U.S. Navy veteran, has released a statement sharing his condolences and thoughts while honoring the soldiers. In the statement, DeSantis remembers the soldiers that lost their lives, commenting that he is “horrified and heartbroken watching the crisis in Afghanistan unfold.”
In the statement, the Governor expressed that “our nation is reeling following a suicide bombing outside the Kabul airport that killed 13 American service members and left an additional 18 wounded.” He added that the soldiers “knew the risk but were in Afghanistan anyway carrying out a selfless mission to help bring others to safety.”
Remembering the soldiers, DeSantis reminded that “the service members included an expecting father, a future college engineering student, and a future Sheriff’s deputy.” “Some had only been enlisted a short while, while others had spent years serving our country,” he noted, adding that “the oldest among those killed was only 31 years old and the other 12 were all 25 or younger.”
The suicide bomb took place at the Kabul airport, which killed 13 U.S. service members, 18 wounded, and over 158 Afghans killed. Officials also informed that it was followed by an assault by gunmen.
"Those who made the ultimate sacrifice in service are heroes," asserted DeSantis, detailing that “their brave actions were responsible for bringing thousands of Americans, Afghans, and our allies to safety.”
Thanking “them for their sacrifice and their incredible bravery to kelp keep our nation safe,” the Florida Governor affirmed that “these men and women showed tremendous courage and deserved better.”
He then admitted that “their names should be honored and remembered.”
Below are the names of the soldiers who tragically lost their lives:
Navy Corpsman Maxton W. Soviak, 22
Army Staff Sergeant Ryan C. Knauss, 23
Marine Corps Staff Sergeant Darin T. Hoover Jr., 31
Marine Corps Sergeant Johanny Rosario Pichardo, 25
Marine Corps Sergeant Nicole L. Gee, 23
Marine Corps Corporal Hunter Lopez, 22
Marine Corps Corporal Daegan W. Page, 23
Marine Corps Corporal Humberto A. Sanchez, 22
Marine Corps Lance Corporal David L. Espinoza, 20
Marine Corps Lance Corporal Jared M. Schmitz, 20
Marine Corps Lance Corporal Rylee J. McCollum, 20
Marine Corps Lance Corporal Dylan R. Merola, 20
Marine Corps Lance Corporal Kareem M. Nikoui, 20
