SAN DIEGO — On Saturday, the U.S. Department of Defense confirmed in a press release that nine U.S. Marines and one sailor based at Camp Pendleton were among the 13 U.S. service members killed in a suicide bombing at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul.
Kareem Nikoui
Kareem Nikoui, 20, of Norco, California, who was also killed in the attacks, was formally based at Camp Pendleton, according to the U.S. Department of Defense.
Rylee McCollum
Lance Cpl. Rylee McCollum, 20, who was also killed in the attacks, was formally based at Camp Pendleton, according to the U.S. Department of Defense.
His wife remains on base and is due to deliver their baby in three weeks. McCollum was from Jackson, Wyoming.
News 8 spoke with his father, Jim McCollum, who said "we are still reeling from the news. Rylee loved being in the Marines and he was good at being a Marine."
If you'd like to support Rylee McCollum family during this difficult time, visit their GoFundMe page visit here.
Daegan W. Page
Marine Corps Cpl. Daegan W. Page, 23, of Omaha Nebraska, who was also killed in the attacks, was formally based at Camp Pendleton, according to the U.S. Department of Defense.
"He loved the brotherhood of the Marines and was proud to serve as a member of the 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California," said Daegan's family in a statement.
Page joined the U.S. Marine Corps after graduating from Millard South High School in Omaha, Nebraska.
Darin T. Hoover
Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Darin Taylor Hoover, 31, of Salt Lake City, Utah, who was also killed in the attacks, was formally based at Camp Pendleton, according to the U.S. Department of Defense.
Utah Governor, Spencer J. Cox tweeted "We are devastated to hear of the passing of Staff Sgt. Taylor Hoover, who served valiantly as a Marine and died serving his fellow countrymen as well as America’s allies in Afghanistan."
Maxton W. Soviak
U.S. Navy Hospitalman Maxton William Soviak, 22, of Berlin Heights, Ohio, who was also killed in the attacks, was formally based at Camp Pendleton, according to the U.S. Department of Defense.
If you'd like to support Maxton Soviak's family during this difficult time, visit their GoFundMe page here.
David L. Espinoza
Marine Corps Lance Cpl. David Lee Espinoza, 20, of Rio Bravo, Texas, who was also killed in the attacks, was formally based at Camp Pendleton, according to the U.S. Department of Defense.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott ordered flags throughout Texas to be lowered to half-staff to honor those who died.
Jared M. Schmitz
Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Jared M. Schmitz, 20, of St. Charles, Missouri, who was also killed in the attacks, was formally based at Camp Pendleton, according to the U.S. Department of Defense.
Schmitz was among a group of Marines sent back to Afghanistan to assist with evacuation efforts.
"I promised his family that his service and his legacy will not be forgotten," Sen. Josh Hawley said in a tweet.
Hunter Lopez
Marine Corps Cpl. Hunter Lopez, 22, of Indio, California, who was also killed in the attacks, was formally based at Camp Pendleton, according to the U.S. Department of Defense.
On September 5, 2017, Lopez joined the U.S. Marine Corps and was assigned to the 22nd Battalion, 1st Marines according to a statement from the Riverside County Sheriff.
Lopez, planned on following his parent’s footsteps and becoming a Riverside County Sheriff’s Deputy after returning home from his current deployment. Hunter Lopez was the son of two Department members, Captain Herman Lopez and Deputy Alicia Lopez.
Ryan Knauss
Army Staff Sgt. Ryan C. Knauss, 23, of Corryton, Tennessee, was also killed in the attacks, according to the U.S. Department of Defense. Knauss was assigned to 9th PSYOP Battalion, 8th PSYOP Group, Ft. Bragg, North Carolina.
Knauss' family and friends told WBIR that Ryan attended high school in Tennessee and joined the military shortly after graduation. His stepmother said he loved to laugh, help his wife Alena in her garden, and enjoyed working with his hands to build things.
Johanny Rosariopichardo
Marine Corps Sgt. Johanny Rosariopichardo, 25, of Lawrence, Massachusetts, was also killed in the attacks, according to the U.S. Department of Defense.
Rosariopichardo was assigned to 5th Marine Expeditionary Brigade, Naval Support Activity Bahrain.
Nicole L. Gee
Marine Corps Sgt. Nicole L. Gee, 23, of Sacramento, California, was also killed in the attacks, according to the U.S. Department of Defense.
Gee was assigned to Combat Logistics Battalion 24, 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.
Dylan R. Merola
Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Dylan R. Merola, 20, of Jackson, Wyoming, who was also killed in the attacks, was formally based at Camp Pendleton, according to the U.S. Department of Defense.
Humberto A. Sanchez
Marine Corps Cpl. Humberto A. Sanchez, 22, of Logansport, Indiana, who was also killed in the attacks, was formally based at Camp Pendleton, according to the U.S. Department of Defense.
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Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a statement Saturday about the fallen troops.
"California joins the nation in mourning the tragic loss of 13 U.S. service members, including those from California and many other innocent victims in this heinous attack," Newsom said. "Our heroic troops gave their lives to protect others amid harrowing and dangerous conditions, and we will never forget their bravery and selfless sacrifice in service to our nation."
The governor ordered flags at all state buildings to be flown at half-staff in honor of the victims.
"These fallen heroes answered the call to go into harm's way to do the honorable work of helping others," said Gen. David H. Berger, commandant of the U.S. Marine Corp. "We are proud of their service and deeply saddened by their loss."
Thursday's deaths of U.S. service members in Kabul, the majority of whom were Marines, has been especially difficult for our strong military community here in San Diego.
Throughout the nation, the families of service members awaited word on the identities of those killed outside the Kabul airport: a tragedy that hits especially close to home for the thousands of U.S. Marines who serve at Camp Pendleton and MCRD San Diego.
"I pray for all the families," said Ezora Richard, who dropped off flowers and paid her respects to those service members who gave their lives in Thursday's suicide bombing in Afghanistan.
She said that her own nephew just retired from the Marines after 20 years.
"I feel for these families," she told News 8. "It could have been my nephew."
"Our Marines know they will continue to be at risk," said Republican Congressman Darrell Issa, who added that the likelihood is high that Thursday's loss of life will have some ties to San Diego.
"There will be Marines that trained at MCRD," he told News 8. "There will be Marines who came out of Camp Pendleton at one point."
Issa pointed out that as the U.S. works to get Americans out of Kabul by the August 31 deadline, that military intelligence had indicated an attack like this was likely.
"It was never a question of if, but when, and how many times," Issa added. "And the same is still true: the threat is continuing to grow."
Democratic Congressman Scott Peters called Thursday's news "devastating" and the deaths of the service members "senseless," adding that "we cannot allow this to de-rail our mission" and emphasizing that, "it is imperative to get all Americans and vulnerable Afghans out as carefully and quickly as possible."
That was a sentiment echoed by Democratic Congresswoman Sara Jacobs, who said that in response to this loss of life "the answer can not be more war and violence. The answer can not be launching more ineffective and unaccountable counterterrorism operations. We must resist the urge to let our pain dictate our policy."
In a statement from the Commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps, General David Berger said:
"As we mourn, we also keep those who are still over there protecting Americans and our Afghan partners at the forefront of our thoughts," adding that "our Marines will continue the mission."
According the Associated Press, the United States pressed on with the monumental airlift from Afghanistan on Friday amid tighter security measures and fears of more bloodshed, a day after the suicide attack at the Kabul airport that killed well over 100 Afghans and 13 U.S. service members.
The U.S. warned that more attacks could come ahead of President Joe Biden's fast-approaching deadline to withdraw American forces from Afghanistan by Tuesday.
Two officials said the Afghan death toll in Thursday's bombing rose to 169, while the U.S. said it was the deadliest day for American forces in Afghanistan since August 2011. Biden blamed the attack on Afghanistan's offshoot of the Islamic State group, which is a lethal enemy of both the Taliban and the West.
READ THE FULL AP STORY: US presses on with evacuations from Afghanistan despite fears of more attacks
President Joe Biden delivered remarks on the terror attack on Thursday afternoon:
WATCH RELATED: 1 of 6 Cajon Valley families returns home from Afghanistan (Aug 25, 2021)