A recent Fox News story incorrectly reported that the Defense Department stuck the family of Marine Sgt. Nicole Gee, who was killed in Afghanistan, with a $60,000 bill to transfer her from California to Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, according to the fallen Marine’s family and the Pentagon.

Marine Sgt. Nicole Gee was one of 13 U.S. service members killed on Aug. 26, 2021, when a suicide bomber attacked Hamid Karzai International Airport’s Abbey Gate.

Rep. Cory Mills (R-Fla.) told Fox News that a non-profit organization helped Gee’s family pay a $60,000 bill after the Defense Department refused to pay to fly the fallen Marine from California to Arlington National Cemetery.

[As you can imagine, when this story first broke, I got pinged several times by outraged folks, asking me had I heard, and when was I going to write up a flaming post on it. Well, yes, I HAD heard, but it wasn’t sitting right with me – none of the story as the Congressman relayed it was, and I wasn’t going to come out firing until I heard more. The one local news article about it made even LESS sense. I am glad I waited to let it shake out. Let me add: Having dealt with casualty assistance teams both in regards to the loss of our precious nephew in Afghanistan and his subsequent interment at Arlington, as well as helping the family of a young Naval officer murdered aboard NAS Pensacola by an Islamic terrorist, I can say with all my heart, they are magnificent to a one. Even if it’s their first time, they go above and beyond for families. As for the VA, having dealt with them to lay my own father to rest aboard NAS, again, nothing but the absolute BEST to deal with, from the first call to D.C. to my last “thank you so much” to our cemetery rep here. Magnificent. And Nicole was a MARINE. WE would NOT allow this to happen to our girl. So, no. I had sincere doubts and I am gratified I was proven correct. Semper Fi ~ Beege]