President Proclaims August 26, 2026 as Abbey Gate Anniversary
All Americans are urged to observe August 26, 2026 as the fifth anniversary of the Abbey Gate attack, honoring the 13 fallen service members.
Proclamation 11058, issued on August 26, 2026 by President Donald J. Trump, designates August 26, 2026 as a day of commemoration for the fifth anniversary of the attack at Abbey Gate in Kabul, Afghanistan. The proclamation, filed as FR Doc 2026-17841 on August 28, 2026 at 11:15 a.m., calls on the nation to remember the event and the service members who died.
The proclamation recounts that at 5:36 p.m. on August 26, 2021 a lone ISIS-K terrorist pressed into a crowd at Abbey Gate and detonated a body-worn bomb. The blast killed 13 American service members, wounded 45, and injured more than 160 civilians. The names listed are Staff Sergeant Ryan C. Knauss, USA; Staff Sergeant Darin T. Hoover, USMC; Sergeant Johanny Rosario Pichardo, USMC; Sergeant Nicole L. Gee, USMC; Corporal Hunter Lopez, USMC; Corporal Daegan W. Page, USMC; Corporal Humberto A. Sanchez, USMC; Lance Corporal David L. Espinoza, USMC; Lance Corporal Jared M. Schmitz, USMC; Lance Corporal Rylee J. McCollum, USMC; Lance Corporal Dylan R. Merola, USMC; Lance Corporal Kareem M. Nikoui, USMC; and Petty Officer Third Class Maxton W. Soviak, USN.
The text urges all Americans to remember the heroism of those who made the ultimate sacrifice and to honor the Gold Star families. It also states the President's resolve to "never allow the failures that led to Abbey Gate to be repeated," referencing the withdrawal from Bagram Airfield and the subsequent collapse of Afghan forces.
In the concluding paragraph, the President declares, "NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America... do hereby proclaim August 26, 2026, as a day in commemoration of the 5th anniversary of the attack at Abbey Gate." The proclamation carries no regulatory effect but serves as a symbolic observance for the nation.
Further reading