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Release
Immediate Release

Statement by Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III on Today's Dignified Transfer Ceremony at Dover Air Force Base

Aug. 29, 2021

A solemn honor to attend today’s dignified transfer ceremony of the 13 U.S service members who lost their lives outside Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan on August 26th.

These men and women made the ultimate sacrifice so that others could live. They were and will be forever remembered as heroes. 

My heart and my thoughts are with their families, especially today. They, too, have made the ultimate sacrifice.

Austin Defense Secretary Afghanistan Afghanistan Evacuation