These are the US service members killed in the Kabul airport attack

The identities of the 13 US service members who were killed by an ISIS-K suicide bomber outside of the Kabul airport while helping to oversee the evacuation of thousands of Americans and Afghan allies have begun being revealed. 

The names of one Navy Corpsman and three Marines killed in Thursday’s blast have been released while the identities of an additional seven Marines and two Army soldiers are yet to be disclosed while the military works to inform their families. 

“We continue to mourn the loss of these Marines and pray for their families. Our focus now is taking care of the families of those who were killed and caring for our injured,” Maj. Jim Stenger, a Marine Corps spokesperson, told The Post in an email. 

Per protocol, the military does not release information on deceased service members until 24 hours after their family members have been notified but relatives have already independently confirmed several of the deaths ahead of that timeline. 

Here’s what we know about the US service members who were killed. 

Maxton Soviak 

Soviak, a Navy Hospital Corpsman in his early 20s, hails from Berlin Heights, Ohio and graduated from Edison High School in Milan in 2017, the Sandusky Register reported. 

A woman who identified herself as Soviak’s older sister, and who goes by Marilyn Soviak on Instagram, penned a heartbreaking post Friday that confirmed her brother’s death. 

“I’ve never been one for politics and i’m not going to start now. What I will say is that my beautiful, intelligent, beat-to-the-sound of his own drum, annoying, charming baby brother was killed yesterday helping to save lives,” the sister wrote. 

“he was a f–king medic. there to help people. and now he is gone and my family will never be the same. there is a large Maxton sized hole that will never be filled,” she wrote alongside a slideshow of images showing the two as children.

“he was just a kid. we are sending kids over there to die. kids with families that now have holes just like ours.” 

While in high school, Soviak was on the honor roll and football team, the outlet reported.

“Max was a good student who was active in sports and other activities throughout his school career. He was well respected and liked by everyone who knew him,” the school said in a statement, adding that news of his death has brought “great sorrow.”

Soviak also previously worked as a lifeguard and a maintenance technician, the outlet reported. 

Kareem Nikoui

Kareem Nikoui is a young Marine from California whose father didn’t realize he’d been killed until he saw a clutch of Marines show up at his door, the Daily Beast reported. 

“I haven’t gone to bed all night,” the heartbroken dad told the outlet.

“I’m still in shock. I haven’t been able to grasp everything that’s going on.”

He said his son “loved what he was doing” and “always wanted to be a Marine.”

“He really loved that [Marine Corps] family. He was devoted — he was going to make a career out of this, and he wanted to go. No hesitation for him to be called to duty,” the dad said.

Ahead of his deployment to Afghanistan, Kareem Nikoui was stationed nearby at Camp Pendleton and often visited home on the weekends, bringing along “10 or 15 other Marines” with him, the dad told the Daily Beast. 

“My wife and I felt very honored that [since] these other boys weren’t around their homes, that we were able to provide some sort of family life for them,” he said.

The father criticized President Biden’s sloppy withdrawal from Afghanistan and said he didn’t expect his son to be in this situation. 

“They sent my son over there as a paper pusher and then had the Taliban outside providing security,” Steve Nikoui said. 

“I blame my own military leaders… Biden turned his back on him. That’s it.”

David Lee Espinoza

Espinoza was a 20-year-old Marine from Laredo, Texas, according to the Laredo Police Department. 

“Our thoughts and prayers will remain with the family of United States Fallen Marine, David L. Espinoza, as well as to his friends and fellow Marines,” the agency wrote in a Facebook post alongside a photo of Espinoza.

“Semper Fi. Thank you for your service.”

Rylee McCollum 

McCollum, a Marine from Bondurant, Wyoming, graduated from Jackson Hole High School in 2019, according to the state’s Governor Mark Gordon and KDVR. 

“I’m devastated to learn Wyoming lost one of our own in yesterday’s terrorist attack in Kabul,” https://twitter.com/GovernorGordon/status/1431293215559192576?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1431293215559192576%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fkdvr.com%2Fnews%2Flocal%2Fwyoming-native-among-marines-killed-in-deadly-kabul-bombing%2F. 

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of Rylee McCollum of Bondurant. Jennie and I, along with all of Wyoming and the entire country thank Rylee for his service.”