The father of Marine Lance Cpl. Jared Schmitz, who was killed along with 12 other American service members during the ISIS-K attack on Abbey Gate in Afghanistan on Aug. 26, 2021, said the Democrats’ reaction, or lack thereof, to the news that one of the masterminds behind the attack had been arrested was “disturbing.”

President Donald Trump used his address to Congress Tuesday night to announce the March 2 arrest of Mohmmad Sharifullah, who the Justice Department said helped plan the ISIS-K suicide bombing at the Kabul airport as Afghans fled the Taliban takeover.

“This should not be a partisan issue whatsoever – the death of our kids,” Mark Schmitz told Fox News Digital. 

President Donald Trump addresses a joint session of Congress at the U.S. Capitol on March 4, 2025. Democrats remained seated throughout the night as Republicans stood to applaud the president. (Sha Hanting/China News Service/VCG via Getty Images)

Biden was criticized for repeatedly checking his watch and many of the families expressed frustration with the lack of transparency that led to the chaotic withdrawal, and ultimately the death of their loved ones. 

“Any time you can start to get a little bit of closure is always a good thing,” Schmitz said in reference to the most recent ISIS-K arrest. “And to find out that they got this guy is amazing. There’s many more that need to be looked at – certainly he’s not the only one.

“This is one down and many more to go, but very, very confident that we’re going to start seeing some answers,” he added. 

Schmitz has chosen to honor his son and the 12 other Americans killed that day by starting a nonprofit aimed at creating “freedom camps” for veterans under a project known as “The Freedom 13.”

The goal is to develop a camp in every state, starting with Jared’s home state of Missouri, where veterans can retreat to for a safe space to heal from their time in the service or to simply be around other veterans. 

A ceremony honoring the 13 service members killed in the suicide bombing at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Afghanistan is held in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda on Sept. 10, 2024. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Each camp will consist of at least 100 acres and 13 houses, signifying the 13 service members killed in the attack.

While Schmitz has said they will need more support to help them develop more camps for veterans, he believes that, under the Trump administration, families at least now “have allies in our corner.”