Secretary of War Pete Hegseth presented upgraded awards to three retired Marines during a ceremony at the Pentagon for their actions following the August 26, 2021, suicide bombing at Hamid Karzai International Airport's Abbey Gate in Kabul, Afghanistan. The attack killed 13 service members and approximately 170 Afghan civilians.
Retired Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant Jonathan Eby received the Bronze Star Medal with Valor for rallying remaining forces following the blast and establishing security before evacuating injured Marines. Retired Lance Corporal Jordan Houston also received the Bronze Star Medal with Valor for helping multiple Marines reach safety amid gunfire and tear gas despite sustaining his own injuries. Retired Corporal Michael Gretzon received the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with Valor for conducting crowd control from an exposed position following the explosion. All three were assigned to 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines at the time.
Hegseth said the five-year delay between the attack and the award upgrades resulted from "sluggish bureaucracy and political meddling." He stated that upgrading the awards would help restore trust between the military and its service members. "If our own warfighters — if our own Marines — do not trust that the department will stand by them in the hours of their greatest need, our adversaries cannot fear our resolve," Hegseth said.
General Eric M. Smith, Commandant of the Marine Corps, praised the three Marines for demonstrating "courage under extreme duress and under extreme personal risk," saying they "remained committed to the mission and selflessly devoted to one another."