Rep. Cory Mills, a U.S. Congressman representing Florida’s 7th district since 2023, posted a series of messages on August 26, 2025, marking the fourth anniversary of the Abbey Gate attack during the Afghanistan evacuation.
In his first post on August 26 at 18:57 UTC, Mills stated: “On the 4th anniversary of the Abbey Gate attack, we solemnly honor the 13 American service members who heroically gave their lives on August 26, 2021, during the Afghanistan evacuation. These 11 Marines, one Navy corpsman, and one Army soldier sacrificed everything to protect https://t.co/AFwg671qzO”.
Later that day at 23:58 UTC, Mills continued his commemoration with another message: “On the 4th anniversary of the tragic Abbey Gate attack, we honor the 13 American service members and nearly 200 others who lost their lives due to the Biden-Harris administration’s catastrophic Afghanistan withdrawal. As a veteran who rescued Americans, including a Texan mom and”. A follow-up tweet included only a link: “https://t.co/fWF9MPzulH”.
The Abbey Gate attack occurred on August 26, 2021 during efforts to evacuate civilians from Afghanistan following the Taliban takeover. Thirteen U.S. service members—eleven Marines, one Navy corpsman and one Army soldier—were killed along with nearly two hundred Afghan civilians in a suicide bombing near Kabul airport.
Cory Mills has personal ties to these events as he is both a military veteran and was involved in rescue operations for Americans during the withdrawal from Afghanistan. Born in Winter Haven in 1980 and currently residing in New Smyrna Beach, Mills succeeded Stephanie Murphy as representative for Florida’s seventh congressional district beginning in January of 2023.
