“I Love My Job”: The Marine Who Gave Her Life So Others Could Live
Today, we remember Nicole L. Gee, a young Marine whose life embodied courage, compassion, and service far beyond her years. At just 23, she stood in one of the most dangerous places on earth, not seeking recognition, but doing what she believed mattered. Her story is not only about how she died, but about how she lived—fully committed to protecting others, even when the cost was everything.
Nicole enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in 2017, answering a call many never dare to answer. She served with Combat Logistics Battalion 24, 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, specializing in maintaining ground electronics transmission systems. It was technical, demanding work—often invisible to the outside world—but essential. She was known among her peers as reliable, driven, and quietly strong, someone who took pride in doing her job well and doing it for the right reasons.
In 2021, Nicole deployed to Kabul during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. Chaos filled the air as thousands of civilians desperately sought safety. Amid the fear and uncertainty, Nicole played a vital role in the evacuation efforts, helping Afghan women and children reach safety. In moments where panic could have taken over, she chose empathy. She chose care. She chose to see people, not crowds.
Just days before her death, Nicole shared a photo that would come to define her legacy. In it, she cradled an Afghan infant, holding the child gently amid the surrounding turmoil. The caption was simple and powerful: “I love my job.” It wasn’t bravado. It wasn’t performative. It was truth. In the middle of danger, Nicole found meaning in service, and joy in protecting the vulnerable.
On August 26, 2021, that compassion cost her life. A suicide bombing at Hamid Karzai International Airport took Nicole from the world, along with 12 other U.S. service members and nearly 170 Afghan civilians. The loss was staggering. A young woman with so much life ahead of her was gone in an instant, leaving behind a nation grappling with grief and unanswered questions.
At her memorial service, her close friend Mallory Harrison spoke words that captured Nicole’s spirit with painful clarity: she lost her life so others might live, and she died proud—proud of who she was, proud of what she was doing, and proud to be a Marine. That pride was never loud. It was steady, lived out in actions, in responsibility, in love for her mission and the people it served.
Nicole Gee’s legacy endures not just in medals or headlines, but in the lives she helped save and the example she left behind. She showed the world that strength and compassion are not opposites—that a warrior can also be a protector. In remembering her today, we honor a life defined by service, a heart guided by empathy, and a sacrifice that will never be forgotten.
