# What This Bill Does

This bill creates a special Congressional Gold Medal to honor 13 U.S. military service members who died in a terrorist attack at Kabul airport in Afghanistan on August 26, 2021. On that day, a suicide bomber from the ISIS-K terrorist group detonated explosives while American troops were helping evacuate U.S. citizens and Afghan allies from the country. It was the deadliest single day for American forces in over a decade, killing those 13 servicemembers along with hundreds of Afghan civilians and allies.

The bill authorizes Congress to strike a gold medal—a formal national honor—and present it posthumously to commemorate these soldiers' sacrifice. The medal will be designed by the Treasury Department and then given to the Smithsonian Institution, where it will be displayed and available for public viewing. The bill also allows the Smithsonian to display the medal in locations outside Washington, D.C., particularly in areas connected to the fallen servicemembers. Additionally, the Treasury Department can create bronze copies of the medal and sell them to the public, with the proceeds going back into the U.S. Mint's budget.

**Who this affects:** This bill primarily honors the families of the 13 deceased servicemembers and recognizes their sacrifice. For the general public, it means a national memorial will be created and displayed, allowing Americans to learn about and pay respects to these soldiers. There's no direct financial impact on taxpayers—the costs are covered by the U.S. Mint's existing budget, and any revenue from selling bronze copies offsets those expenses.

To award posthumously a Congressional Gold Medal, in commemoration to the servicemembers who perished in Afghanistan on August 26, 2021, during the evacuation of citizens of the United States and Afghan allies at Hamid Karzai International Airport, and for other purposes.

McClain, Lisa C.

 <p>This bill posthumously provides for the award of a Congressional Gold Medal in commemoration of the 13 service members who died on August 26, 2021, while stationed at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Afghanistan. </p>