Secretary of War Pete Hegseth upgraded valor awards Wednesday for three Marines who risked their lives during the deadly Abbey Gate bombing in Kabul, presenting the honors exactly five years after the Aug. 26, 2021 terrorist attack that killed 13 American service members.
Hegseth presented upgraded Bronze Star Medals with "V" devices for valor to Gunnery Sgt. Jonathan Eby and Lance Cpl. Jordan Houston during a Pentagon ceremony. Cpl. Michael Gretzon received the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with a "V" device for valor. Hegseth said their original award submissions were inappropriately downgraded, calling it a failure of bureaucratic caution or politics.
What the Right Is Saying
Republican lawmakers praised Hegseth's action as long-overdue justice for heroes who should never have faced bureaucratic obstacles to recognition. Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, a Navy Reserve officer, has championed legislation requiring automatic reviews of valor award denials and downgrades.
Conservative veterans' organizations, including the American Legion and VFW, welcomed the ceremony as evidence that the current administration prioritizes warfighter recognition over institutional caution. They argue the original downgrades reflected a culture within the Pentagon that undervalued frontline heroism in favor of administrative simplicity.
Heritage Foundation analysts have framed the upgrades as part of broader defense reform efforts, arguing that previous administrations allowed bureaucratic inertia to undermine troop morale. Military advocacy groups associated with conservative causes say delayed recognition compounds the grief of Gold Star families who deserve assurance their loved ones' sacrifice was properly honored at every level.
What the Left Is Saying
Democratic lawmakers have largely welcomed the recognition but questioned why it took five years to correct what advocates call an administrative failure. Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., a Marine veteran who served in Afghanistan, has previously argued that valor award delays reflect systemic problems within military bureaucracy that transcend administrations.
Veterans' advocacy groups aligned with progressive causes note that similar recognition delays have affected service members across multiple conflicts and argue for structural reforms to the awards nomination process. The VoteVets organization has called for independent oversight of military decorations to prevent political considerations from influencing recognition decisions.
Some Democratic voices have also asked why the upgrades are occurring now, noting that the announcement comes amid ongoing scrutiny of the broader Afghanistan withdrawal under a different administration. They point to patterns where valor recognitions sometimes coincide with specific political timelines rather than following consistent administrative review cycles.
What the Numbers Show
The Aug. 26, 2021 Abbey Gate bombing killed 13 American service members during the final phase of the Afghanistan evacuation. Those killed included Marine Staff Sgt. Darin T. Hoover, Sgt. Johanny Rosario Pichardo, Sgt. Nicole L. Gee, Cpl. Hunter Lopez, Cpl. Daegan W. Page, Cpl. Humberto A. Sanchez, Lance Cpl. David L. Espinoza, Lance Cpl. Jared M. Schmitz, Lance Cpl. Rylee J. McCollum, Lance Cpl. Dylan R. Merola and Lance Cpl. Kareem M. Nikoui; Navy Corpsman Maxton W. soviak; and Army Staff Sgt. Ryan C. Knauss.
The attack also injured approximately 170 U.S. personnel. ISIS-K claimed responsibility for the suicide bombing, which occurred near a gate where thousands of Afghan civilians were gathered seeking evacuation as U.S. forces managed the final days of the 20-year Afghanistan presence.
According to award citations, Eby took command after his platoon commander was wounded, rallying remaining Marines and helping evacuate casualties in the immediate aftermath. Houston remained at his exposed position covering fellow service members despite being knocked unconscious by the blast and suffering shrapnel wounds. Gretzon applied his own tourniquet to a severe arm wound before returning to continue assisting until ordered to receive medical treatment.
The War Department's Afghanistan Withdrawal Special Review Panel, chaired by Sean Parnell, announced Wednesday that investigators recently recovered classified documents related to the attack that had not previously been disclosed in public reviews.
The Bottom Line
The ceremony marks an attempt to close a chapter that veterans' advocates say should never have remained open for five years. Hegseth declared that bureaucratic caution would no longer delay proper recognition of frontline valor, though observers note institutional changes will require more than ceremonial statements.
The Afghanistan Withdrawal Special Review Panel continues its investigation and expects to deliver a full report by the end of the calendar year, according to War Department officials. Parnell indicated investigators recently recovered classified materials he said should have been disclosed but were instead concealed, without identifying who allegedly stashed the documents or detailing their contents given classification restrictions.
For the three Marines now formally recognized with upgraded awards, Wednesday's ceremony provides official acknowledgment that advocates say was delayed by institutional failures rather than any question of valor. The broader review may determine whether other service members from the withdrawal face similar recognition corrections.