Overview
- The Marine Corps, in a Wednesday Pentagon announcement, upgraded unspecified valor awards for Marines of Company G, 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines who held Kabul’s Abbey Gate in August 2021.
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered the changes after the Afghanistan Withdrawal Special Review Panel recommended upgrades.
- Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said reviewers found some original awards were inappropriately downgraded and failed to match the extreme risk and lifesaving actions under enemy fire.
- Officials have not disclosed how many Marines are affected or which medals were elevated, with details still pending.
- The Aug. 26, 2021 suicide bombing at Abbey Gate killed 13 U.S. service members and about 170 civilians, and the ongoing review of the withdrawal has examined millions of records with broader findings expected in the coming months.