Knauss, Ryan Christian
Male
Verified U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Ryan Christian Knauss, 23, of Corryton, Tennessee, was killed in a suicide bombing at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, on August 26, 2021.
Their Story
Ryan Christian Knauss was a Staff Sergeant in the U.S. Army, assigned to Company B, 9th Psychological Operations Battalion, 8th Psychological Operations Group, based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. He was a native of Corryton, Tennessee, and was 23 years old at the time of his death.
On August 26, 2021, Knauss was among the U.S. service members providing security at the Abbey Gate of Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul. At approximately 5:48 p.m. local time, a suicide bomber detonated an explosive vest in the dense crowd of civilians and military personnel gathered at the gate. The blast killed 13 U.S. service members, including Knauss, and at least 170 Afghan civilians. The Islamic State ? Khorasan Province (ISIS-K) claimed responsibility for the attack.
The attack occurred during the final days of the U.S. military's non-combatant evacuation operation, following the Taliban's takeover of Kabul on August 15, 2021. Knauss was serving under Operation Freedom's Sentinel, the U.S. mission that succeeded Operation Enduring Freedom in 2015 and focused on training, advising, and assisting Afghan forces.
Knauss's body was returned to the United States on August 29, 2021, during a dignified transfer ceremony at Dover Air Force Base. Tennessee Governor Bill Lee ordered flags to be flown at half-staff in his honor. His family described him as a dedicated soldier who believed in his mission.
Knauss was posthumously promoted from Sergeant to Staff Sergeant. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery. A memorial scholarship was reportedly established in his name at his former high school in Tennessee.
Explore Further
Ryan Knauss was killed during Operation Freedom's Sentinel (2015?2021). The conflict concluded with the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021. See the full roster of those killed in this conflict.
Among those documented in the same conflict: Golden, Jonathan Joseph, Gonzalez, Jose Juan, Sanchez, Maria Victoria, Dawson, John Michael.
