A 20-Year-Old Marine Whose Wife Is Expecting A Baby Among The 13 US Troops Killed In Kabul Attacks
Another young Marine, Rylee McCollum, is among those killed in the deadly suicide bombings near Kabul airport which claimed the lives of 12 other US servicemen.
As more details emerged on the identity of those who lost their lives in the attacks, reports said the 20-year-old McCollum was among those dead — leaving his wife behind who is expecting to give birth in three weeks.
“He was so excited to be a dad, and he was going to be a great dad,” McCollum’s sister, Cheyenne McCollum told the Associated Press (AP).
“We want to make sure that people know that these are the kids that are sacrificing themselves, and he’s got a family who loves him and a wife who loves him and a baby that he’ll never get to meet,” she told the outlet.
His father, Jim McCollum told The Daily Beast that after his son’s untimely death, his ‘ ‘scared sh–less’ for what is to happen next.
“I’ve lost my son, but there are still Marines over there,” he told the outlet. “We gave them everything they needed, and we were pinned down at the airport. I am scared sh-tless to see what’s going to happen next, and what’s going to come our way.”
Rylee McCollum, a 20-year-old Marine, was a baby when the war in Afghanistan began. He became one of the last casualties of America’s longest war on Thursday when he and 12 other service members were killed in an attack that also killed scores of Afghans. https://t.co/V93S3EhcYH
— The New York Times (@nytimes) August 28, 2021
Marine Lance Corporal Jared Schmitz, was also among those killed in the deadly blast in Afghanistan — he was also 20 years old.
“This was something he always wanted to do and I never seen a young man train as hard as he did to be the best soldier he could be,” Schmitz’ father, Mark Schmitz, said according to KMOX.
“His life meant so much more. I’m so incredibly devastated that I won’t be able to see the man that he was very quickly growing into becoming,” he added.
McCollum and Schmitz were among the 13 US service members killed when suicide bombers attacked the Hamid Karzai International Airport where US evacuation efforts are ongoing.
US Marine Kareem Nikoui, another 20-year old, was also among those deployed to Kabul to help in the efforts of the Biden administration to pull out troops from Afghanistan and ended up dead.
Nikoui, was reportedly sent as a “paper pusher” during the ongoing evacuation efforts and his father, Steve Nikoui, blamed President Joe Biden for “turn[ing] his back” on his son.
“I blame my own military leaders … Biden turned his back on him. That’s it,” Nikoui has said.
LCPL Rylee McCollum, 20, Jackson, Wy
LCPL Jared Schmitz, 20, Wentzville, Mo
LCPL David Espinoza, 20, Rio Bravo, Tx
Crpmn Max Soviak, Berlin Heights, Oh
Cpl Hunter Lopez, 22, Riverside, Cal
Cpl Kareem Nikoui, 20, Norco, Cal
SSgt Taylor Hoover, 31, Utah
Cpl Tyeler Page, 23, Om Neb— Thomas E. Ricks (@tomricks1) August 28, 2021
The Islamic State – Khorasan Province (ISIS-K) has claimed responsibility for the incident that also caused the death of 10 US Marines, one US Navy medic and two other service members. According to the AP, 18 other American service members were wounded, according to the AP 18 other US service members were wounded.
On the Afghan side, 169 were said to have been killed in the attacks.
The death toll from the heinous attacks also continues to mount as more reports from the ground continue to come in.
Army Maj. Gen. William Taylor said on Friday that the attacks were carried out near the Hamid Karzai International Airport’s main gate — the Abbey Gate — where a suicide bombing happened followed by gunfire.
Although initial reports noted another bombing in the vicinity of the Baron Hotel where US troops were assembling evacuees, Taylor said it is “not believed” that there was a second explosion — contradicting a statement made earlier by Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs, John Kirby.
“We can confirm that the explosion at the Abbey Gate was the result of a complex attack that resulted in a number of US & civilian casualties. We can also confirm at least one other explosion at or near the Baron Hotel, a short distance from Abbey Gate. We will continue to update,” Kirby said then.
We can confirm that the explosion at the Abbey Gate was the result of a complex attack that resulted in a number of US & civilian casualties. We can also confirm at least one other explosion at or near the Baron Hotel, a short distance from Abbey Gate. We will continue to update.
— John Kirby (@PentagonPresSec) August 26, 2021
Even before the fatal strike on Thursday, Republicans and some Democrats have already slammed the Biden administration for its botched efforts to pull out the US from Afghanistan — where confusing and often contradicting statements from officials have led to confusion on the real situation on the ground.
The Talibans have also quickly taken over the whole country “surprising” the Biden administration, with Secretary of State Antony Blinken admitting the rapid gains made by the “happened more quickly than we anticipated.”
America is currently scrambling to evacuate its citizens and allies out of Afghanistan ahead of the August 31 deadline to withdraw US presence in the country.
