Troops who took half in Afghan evacuation to obtain Presidential Unit Citation
Two years after the swift collapse of the U.S.-backed authorities in Kabul and the chaos of the evacuation, the Pentagon this week confirmed that Marine Corps and Army troops who took half within the last mission in Afghanistan will obtain the Presidential Unit Citation, the navy’s highest collective award for valor in fight.
The U.S. and its allies evacuated greater than 124,000 civilians from Afghanistan, a grim conclusion to a battle that started with the Sept. 11, 2001, assaults on American soil 20 years earlier.
“In recognition of teams that operated and excelled under these difficult and dangerous conditions, I am proud to announce the approval of the Presidential Unit Citation for the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit; the Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force-Crisis Response-Central Command; and Joint Task Force 82 of the 82nd Airborne Division and its supporting units,” Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin mentioned Thursday in a press release.
The evacuation from Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport was the ultimate chapter in America’s longest conflict. U.S. Marines and Army troops have been despatched there to protect the perimeter as 1000’s of determined Afghans tried to push their means inside in hopes of securing a seat on one of many coveted flights in another country.
On Aug. 26, 2021, a fighter with the Islamic State terror group triggered a suicide bomb at Abbey Gate, one of many checkpoints main into the airport. The explosion killed 13 U.S. personnel and not less than 170 Afghans.
“Throughout America’s longest war, our troops showed great courage and compassion,” Mr. Austin mentioned Thursday. “We bow our heads in memory of the 2,461 service members who never made it home, including the 13 courageous troops taken from us in the attack at Abbey Gate in the final hours of the war.”
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