Pentagon releases names of US service members killed in Afghanistan blast

Although the Pentagon has not yet released the names of the U.S. service members whose families and elected officials were killed in Thursday's explosion, several have been identified by their families and political representatives. Kareem Nikoui, 20, of Wentzville, Mo., and Jared Schmitz, 20, of Rio Bravo, Tex. Marine Cpls. Hunter Lopez, 22, of Omaha; and Daegan William-Tyeler Page, 23, of Southern California; Marine Staff Sgt. Taylor Hoover, of Germany, and Navy Hospital Corpsman Max Soviak, of Berlin Heights, Ohio, were among the victims of an attack which U.S. officials originally described as a suicide bombing but now say was a single blast just outside the airport's Abbey Gate.

He described'specific, credible threats' to the military presence in Kabul and warned that in the remaining days the military would have to 'balance" the demands of closing its operations at the airport with the mandate to get more civilians out of the country. To make more room on planes for evacuees, the military is flying out of Afghanistan where possible instead of destroying it, Kirby added.

VanHerck, the head of U.S. Northern Command, told reporters Friday that it would take approximately five to seven days to process and screen Afghan arrivals who account for about 40 percent of the people the military has brought into the United States since the evacuation began. The balance, he said, are U.S. citizens, green card holders and others with designated status to be in the country.