Sergeant Nicole L. Gee was helping with evacuation operations in Kabul when an attack near the airport killed her on August 26, 2021. She was 23 years old.
Gee had entered active duty in the Marine Corps in 2017. A ground electronics transmission systems maintainer, she served with Combat Logistics Battalion 24. During the evacuation, a photograph of her holding an Afghan baby showed a quieter moment amid the urgent work of helping people leave.
On September 29, she was laid to rest with military honors at Arlington National Cemetery. Her story includes both the loss suffered by her family and the service she performed before the attack. The image of a young Marine caring for a child remains a reminder of the people involved in that mission.