Upgrading Valor, Downplaying Accountability The recent upgrade of awards for three Marines who demonstrated "combat heroism" during the Abbey Gate attack in Kabul serves as a stark reminder that even in the face of catastrophic failure, our military's values are often more about valor than accountability.
The incident occurred five years ago at Hamid Karzai International Airport, where an ISIS K suicide bomber detonated outside Abbey Gate on August 26, 2021, killing 13 American service members and 170 Afghan civilians.
The three Marines – Jonathan Eby, Jordan Houston, and Michael Gretzon – were part of a team tasked with processing evacuees at the airport.