Soviak, Maxton William
Male
Verified Hospital Corpsman Third Class Maxton William Soviak, 22, of Berlin Heights, Ohio, was killed in a suicide bombing at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, on August 26, 2021.
Their Story
Maxton William Soviak was a 22-year-old U.S. Navy Hospital Corpsman from Berlin Heights, Ohio. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines, as part of a Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force providing ground combat support. Soviak had enlisted in the Navy in 2017 and was trained as a corpsman, a role responsible for providing medical care to Marines.
On August 26, 2021, Soviak was among the U.S. service members providing security at the Abbey Gate of Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul. The airport was the focal point of a massive evacuation of civilians and foreign nationals following the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan. At approximately 5:48 p.m. local time, a suicide bomber detonated an explosive device in the dense crowd outside the gate. The blast killed 13 U.S. service members, including Soviak, and at least 170 Afghan civilians.
The attack occurred during the final days of Operation Freedom's Sentinel, the U.S. military mission in Afghanistan that began in January 2015. The operation succeeded the earlier International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) mission and focused on training Afghan forces and conducting counterterrorism operations. The evacuation at Kabul's airport was the final major U.S. military action of the nearly 20-year war.
The U.S. Department of Defense confirmed Soviak's death the following day. His body was returned to the United States during a dignified transfer ceremony at Dover Air Force Base. In Ohio, Governor Mike DeWine ordered flags flown at half-staff. A memorial service was held in his hometown of Berlin Heights, where he was remembered by family and community members.
Soviak was posthumously promoted to the rank of Hospital Corpsman Third Class. He was awarded the Purple Heart and the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal. His name is inscribed on a memorial at the U.S. Navy Memorial in Washington, D.C.
Explore Further
Maxton Soviak was killed during Operation Freedom's Sentinel (2015?2021). The conflict concluded in August 2021 with the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. 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.
