Nicole Gee's family had to fundraise money in order to fly slain Marine to Arlington

The family of a Marine who was killed during the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 had to pay $60,000 to fly her body from California to Arlington to bury her. 

Nicole Gee, 23, was one of 13 service members who died in a suicide blast at Kabul Airport in 2021 alongside 170 desperate Afghans seeking to leave the beleaguered country.

The terror attack, which ISIS claimed responsibility for, occurred in the early morning hours of August 26, during the frenzied evacuation near the US embassy. 

Republican lawmaker and Army veteran Cory Mills last week met with the families of the 13 service members killed on duty and was told one was forced to pay to move the body of their loved one. 

He claimed Marine Gee's family were forced to find 'a staggering $60,000' worth of funding to move her body to its final resting place. 

The family of Marine Nicole Gee, 23, who was killed during the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 had to pay $60,000 to fly her body from California to Arlington to bury her

She was one of 13 service members who died in a suicide blast at Kabul Airport in 2021 and her family were allegedly forced to find $60,000 to move her body to its final resting place

Republican politician and Army veteran Cory Mills' office said the option for the defense department to decline to pay for the transportation of her body was allowed by a change to last year's National Defense Authorization Act

A nonprofit organization eventually stepped in to cover the costs to take her body to Arlington, according to Mills. 

Gee's body was first flown to her hometown of Roseville, California for a ceremony.

But her family was told they would be responsible for taking her body to her final resting place at Arlington National Cemetery, Florida Representative Mills claimed. 

Honoring Our Fallen, a nonprofit which helps the families of fallen American service members, paid for the family to move Gee's remains to Virginia using a private jet. 

Mills' office said the option for the defense department to decline to pay for the transportation of her body was allowed by a change to last year's National Defense Authorization Act.

It states the secretary of Defense may provide a fallen service member's family 'a commercial air travel use waiver for the transportation of deceased remains of [a] military member who dies inside a theater of combat operations.'

Republican politician Mills said the Defense Department should pay for transporting the bodies of those who have died serving their countries and not their families. 

'Typically, our fallen heroes are flown back home for a solemn service and then laid to a final rest at Arlington Cemetery with the utmost respect and honor,' he told Fox News. 

'It is an egregious injustice that grieving families were burdened to shoulder the financial strain of honoring their loved ones. 

Republican politician Mills said the Defense Department should pay for transporting the bodies of those who have died serving their countries and not their families

Honoring Our Fallen, a nonprofit which helps the families of fallen American service members, stepped in and paid to move Gee's remains to Virginia using a private jet. Pictured: Gee with her husband Marine Jarod Gee

Her older sister Misty Fuoco (left) said her sister would text her regularly from Kabul to tell her how ‘amazing’ her job was, and described her as ‘fearless'

'This is an unacceptable situation that demands immediate rectification.'

Gee was one of two female Marines who died in the Kabul blast nearly two years ago. 

Her older sister Misty Fuoco, said her sister would text her regularly from Kabul to tell her how ‘amazing’ her job was, and described her as ‘fearless.’

'She was a big advocate of positive mental health and helping others and she was just absolutely thrilled with the work she was doing in Afghanistan,' she said. 

'She and I didn’t get to communicate as much as we did before she was deployed but when she did, she would let me know [she was safe].

‘Her words were, ‘I love it. I’m so amazed by everything here’. She couldn’t wait to tell me more about it. There was so much happiness and passion in what she was doing.’

In a message sent to Misty on August 14, less than two weeks before she was killed, Nicole wrote: ‘Don’t be scared either! There’s a lot in the news lately… But there’s a LOT of Marines and soldiers going to provide security.

‘We’ve been training for this evacuation and it’s actually happening so I’m excited for it. Hopefully it’s successful and safe. I love you!!!’

She added of the moment she learned Nicole was dead: ‘I just stood still, speechless, processing. Thinking, no way. That’s not what you just said. Then you think, well he wouldn’t just say that as a joke or just to say that.

‘You wait for the second phone call that says so sorry for the terrible mix up but there isn’t any mix up and what happened, happened.

‘Still, it’s been a little over 24 hours now and it’s still just as hard to understand as it was yesterday morning. You take it one moment at a time, one thought at a time.’

Marine Nicole Gee (left and right) sent a series of texts to her sister before deploying to Afghanistan telling her not to worry - and saying she hoped the mission would be ‘successful and safe' 

In a message sent to Misty on August 14, less than two weeks before she was killed, Nicole wrote: ‘Don’t be scared either! There’s a lot in the news lately… But there’s a LOT of Marines and soldiers going to provide security. 

Gee (second from left) grew up in Roseville, California – a small commuter city just outside Sacramento where her father Richard, 56, still lives

Nicole and Misty grew up in nearby Roseville, California – a small commuter city just outside Sacramento where their father Richard, 56, still lives.

Misty describes a happy childhood that came to an abrupt end when their mother Rebecca died at the age of 46 in 2019.

By then, Nicole had moved across the country to be with her husband Jarod Gee, who was a stationed Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville, North Carolina, and had joined the Marines herself.

The other Marines killed in the blast were Marine Corps Sgt. Johanny Rosario Pichardo, Staff Sgt. Darin T. Hoover, 31, Cpl. Hunter Lopez, 22, Cpl. Daegan W. Page, 23, Cpl. Humberto A. Sanchez, 22, Lance Cpl. David L. Espinoza, 20, Lance Cpl. Jared M. Schmitz, 20, Lance Cpl. Rylee J. McCollum, 20, Lance Cpl. Dylan R. Merola, 20, Lance Cpl. Kareem M. Nikoui, 20.

The Army lost Staff Sgt. Ryan C. Knauss, 23, while the Navy lost Corpsman Maxton W. Soviak, 22 in the terrorist attack. 

Dailymail.com has contacted The Pentagon for comment.