Five years have passed since the tragic explosion at Kabul International Airport, Afghanistan. Fox Nation has taken an in-depth look at the incident and its impact on the U.S. military and American foreign policy. The documentary, Ambush at Abbey Gate: The Afghanistan Withdrawal, offers a 40-minute exploration of the errors leading to the Abbey Gate bombing, a key entry point at Hamid Karzai International Airport.
Retired U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Tyler Vargas-Andrews, who lost both legs in the explosion, shared his harrowing experience with the show’s host, Joey Jones. Vargas-Andrews recounted, “Staff Sergeant Darren ‘Taylor’ Hoover was killed next to me. My whole abdomen had been ripped open. I took 150 ball bearings into my body, lost my left kidney, and 157 centimeters of both large and small intestine.”
A Taliban fighter was positioned at the site of twin suicide bombings that killed many, including 13 U.S. troops, at Kabul airport on August 27, 2021.
Retired U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Kelsee Lainhart also suffered injuries, detailing how shrapnel and ball bearings struck her during the attack. She explained, “I have a ball bearing in my skull, other parts of my body, and shrapnel hit my vertebrae.”
The attack resulted in the deaths of 11 Marines, one sailor, and one soldier on that August day in 2021. Over 160 Afghan civilians also lost their lives. The documentary, The Ambush at Abbey Gate: The Afghanistan Withdrawal, delves into the experiences of U.S. service members injured in the bombing.
Vargas-Andrews stressed the importance of remembering that day, stating, “We’ll never be forgotten. This mentally wounded the entirety of the ‘GWOT’ [Global War on Terrorism] generation.” The film investigates not just the attack but the motivations behind soldiers enlisting in the U.S. military, amid criticism of the chaotic Afghanistan withdrawal.
Congressman Matt Van Epps recently criticized the Biden administration’s handling of the withdrawal. He stated, “The Biden-Harris administration absolutely failed to withdraw from Afghanistan, and it didn’t have to be that way.” Van Epps introduced a resolution to mark the fifth anniversary of the Hamid Karzai International Airport attack.
For more insights into the Kabul bombing’s legacy and the U.S.’s disorderly departure, Ambush at Abbey Gate: The Afghanistan Withdrawal is available for streaming on Fox Nation.
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