Intel

13 Service Members Killed in Kabul Bombing Posthumously Awarded Purple Hearts

September 10, 2021Hannah Ray Lambert
Kabul Purple Heart

An honor detail of US Navy sailors renders honors while receiving the remains of Petty Officer 3rd Class Maxton W. Soviak, a Berlin Heights, Ohio native, at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport Wednesday, Sept. 8, 2021. US Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Maddelin Hamm.

The Navy corpsman killed in a suicide bombing Aug. 26 during the Kabul evacuation in Afghanistan has been posthumously promoted and, along with the 12 other service members killed during the attack, awarded the Purple Heart.


The 13 service members died as they were overseeing the entry of refugees through the Abbey Gate of Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul.


On Tuesday, Sept. 7, the Navy announced corpsman Maxton “Max” Soviak, 22, had been posthumously promoted to the rank of petty officer third class. Soviak was also awarded the Purple Heart and Fleet Marine Force Corpsman warfare badge, according to a Navy press release.


“Petty Officer Soviak gave the ultimate sacrifice in service to this country,” Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro said in the release.


max soviak navy corpsman coffee or die
Max Soviak, a US Navy Fleet Marine Force corpsman, was one of 13 service members killed in the Aug. 26, 2021, terrorist attack in Kabul, Afghanistan. Photo courtesy of Reddit.

The Associated Press reported the 12 other service members killed in the attack were also awarded Purple Hearts.


The 13 American service members killed in the Aug. 26 bombing were:


Lance Cpl. David Lee Espinoza, USMC | Laredo, TX

Sgt. Nicole Gee, USMC | Roseville, CA

Staff Sgt. Taylor Hoover, USMC | Salt Lake City, UT

Staff Sgt. Ryan Knauss, US Army | Knoxville, TN

Cpl. Hunter Lopez, USMC | Indio, CA

Lance Cpl. Rylee McCollum, USMC | Bondurant, WY

Cpl. Dylan Merola, USMC | Rancho Cucamonga, CA

Lance Cpl. Kareem Nikoui, USMC | Norco, CA

Cpl. Daegan William-Tyeler Page, USMC | Omaha, NE

Sgt. Johanny Rosario, USMC | Lawrence, MA

Cpl. Humberto Sanchez, USMC | Logansport, IN

Lance Cpl. Jared Schmitz, USMC | Wentzville, MO

Navy Corpsman Maxton Soviak, US Navy | Berlin Heights, OH


Read Next: ‘The Time Is Now’: As GWOT Memorial Stalls in Congress, Families of Fallen Want Action



Hannah Ray Lambert
Hannah Ray Lambert

Hannah Ray Lambert is a former staff writer for Coffee or Die who previously covered everything from murder trials to high school trap shooting teams. She spent several months getting tear gassed during the 2020-2021 civil unrest in Portland, Oregon. When she’s not working, Hannah enjoys hiking, reading, and talking about authors and books on her podcast Between Lewis and Lovecraft.

More from Coffee or Die Magazine
navy seal training
Navy SEALS Training Plagued by Massive Problems, According To Investigation

Medical oversight and care were “poorly organized, poorly integrated and poorly led and put candidat...

memorial day arlington
Memorial Day Is a Day of Remembrance, Not Celebration

Memorial Day was created as a remembrance to honor the fallen by decorating graves — a holiday meant...

air force joint chiefs
Air Force Fighter Pilot Tapped As Next Joint Chiefs Chairman Has History of Firsts

The Air Force fighter pilot about to be nominated as the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff ...

sowf special operations warrior foundation
BRCC Donates $500K to Special Operations Warrior Foundation

In an effort to continue Black Rifle Coffee Company’s mission of supporting the veteran community, B...

Coca Cola 600
BRCC to Honor Fallen Marine During NASCAR’s Legendary Coca-Cola 600

Black Rifle Coffee Company will honor Marine Gunnery Sgt. Joseph Menusa during NASCAR’s Coca-Cola 600 this Memorial Day. Menusa was killed in 2003 during the invasion of Iraq.

uss gerald r. ford oslo
US Aircraft Carrier Arrives In NATO Member Norway, To Take Part In Drills

The nuclear-powered ship USS Gerald R. Ford entered the Oslo fjord escorted by a rapid dinghy-type boat with armed personnel on board.

adam driver indy 500
Marine Vet, Actor Adam Driver Named Honorary Starter for Indianapolis 500

Two-time Academy Award nominee Adam Driver, who will soon be starring as Enzo Ferrari in a biopic of...

  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Careers
Contact Us
  • Request a Correction
  • Write for Us
  • General Inquiries
© 2023 Coffee or Die Magazine. All Rights Reserved