A police motorcade Thursday escorted one of the 13 service members killed outside the Kabul airport during the Afghanistan withdrawal last month.
Two helicopters also accompanying the hearse as it drives through Northern Virginia. At about 3:15 p.m., the Virginia State Police identified the service member as Army Staff Sgt. Ryan Knauss.
Motors were honored & humbled to assist today w/the transport of Staff Sgt. Ryan Knauss from to .
Photo location: I-81 northbound in County.
鈥� VA State Police (@VSPPIO)
Fairfax County police said the public can show their respects on the overpasses along Interstate 66 east or along the Capital Beltway south of I-66.
At about 3:15, Dave Dildine, in the 草莓传媒 Traffic Center, said eastbound traffic on I-66 was stopped near Haymarket and Gainesville and the eastbound onramps are also closed. The overpasses were full of people paying respect, he said.
鈥淭his procession will be moving slowly eastbound down Interstate 66 into Fairfax County over the next half-hour to an hour鈥檚 time, eventually moving onto the Outer Loop southbound toward Springfield and then northbound on I-395.鈥�
Westbound I-66 is slow as well, and access to the E-ZPass lanes is closed. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 probably the route they鈥檒l take,鈥� Dildine said.
The motorcade will start in Prince William County and head east along I-66. It will then move south on the Beltway, then head north on I-395 before exiting at King Street.
Today, one of the service members tragically killed in Afghanistan will be traveling through FFXCO. A police motorcade will escort the hearse w/ 2 helicopters above. Anyone who wishes to show their respect is asked to be present on the overpasses along the route: I66E to 495S
鈥� Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD)
In addition to the 13 service members killed in the Kabul attack, 180 Afghans were killed.
The U.S. completed its withdrawal from Afghanistan on Aug. 30, ending America鈥檚 longest war.
The Pentagon has said it evacuated more than 110,000 people.
Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam said toward the end of August that more than 14,000 people evacuated from Afghanistan聽have arrived in the commonwealth through Dulles International Airport, calling it 鈥渙ne of the largest airlifts in history鈥� and saying 鈥渨e can all be proud鈥� of Virginia鈥檚 鈥渃ritical role.鈥�
