sgt nicole gee's father speaks out for the first time to pay tribute to his 'warrior' daughter who died in the suicide attack in kabul by isis

The father of Sergeant Nicole Gee, one of the 13 US troops slain in a suicide bombing in Kabul, has spoken out for the first time since her death to pay tribute to his heroic daughter. 

'She's my hero,' Robert Herrera said of his daughter Gee, to Today. 'She's a warrior.'

'It broke me for a while, and it's like a wave now,' he said. 'The emotions are up and down. It's hit me hard'.

Herrera, speaking from his Roseville California home, he described the now iconic photo of his daughter cradling an Afghan baby, captioned 'I love my job', which has gone viral since the August 26 ISIS bomb attack at the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul.  

He described how he'd been filled with pride and shown the photo to his friends and family after Gee posted it to Instagram just two days before her death. 

Now he looks at it and just sees 'my baby,' said the heartbroken dad. 

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'She's my hero,' Sergeant Nicole Gee's father, Robert Herrera, told the TODAY from his Roseville California home. 'She's a warrior.'

'It broke me for a while, and it's like a wave now,' said Herrera of his daughter's death. 'The emotions are up and down. It's hit me hard'.

Just days before she was killed in the suicide blast, St. Nicole Gee was photographed holding an Afghan baby

In an exclusive interview with MailOnline on Sunday, Gee's older sister Misty Fuoco said that  she would text the family regularly from Kabul to tell them how 'amazing' her job was, and described Gee as 'fearless.'

‘Her words were, "I love it. I’m so amazed by everything here.' Fuoco said. 

'She couldn’t wait to tell me more about it. There was so much happiness and passion in what she was doing.’

The parents of fellow Marine Hunter Lopez, 22, from Indio, California, also paid tribute to their fallen son on Monday.

After an outpouring of condolences, flowers and donations sent to the Riverside County Deputy Sheriff Relief Foundation in their slain son's name, Herman and Alicia Lopez issued a public statement. 

'Our family is overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and condolences we've received in the wake of Hunter's sudden passing,' the Lopez family said in public comment issued on Monday afternoon.  

'Please know that Hunter wore the United States Marine uniform with love and pride, and it is very apparent that the community will never forget his sacrifice and our family,' said Lopez's parents 

Both of Lopez's parents work for the Riverside County Sheriff's Department - his father, Herman, is a captain; his mother, Alicia, serves as a deputy sheriff.

The Lopez family shared a public statement on Monday afternoon, thanking the community and the country for their 'outpouring of love and condolences'

'We want to send out a huge thank you to everyone who has donated to the Riverside County Deputy Sheriff Relief Foundation in the name of Hunter and the family, prayed, or reached out to us during one of the most challenging times in our lives.

'Please know that Hunter wore the United States Marine uniform with love and pride, and it is very apparent that the community will never forget his sacrifice and our family.'

Both of Lopez's parents work for the Riverside County Sheriff's Department - his father, Herman, is a captain; his mother, Alicia, serves as a deputy sheriff. 

The family thanked everyone who paid their son tribute in ' of his short but incredible life,'  and said they would thank each person individually if it weren't 'impossible' due to the sheer volume of support they've received. 

The family thanked everyone who paid their son Hunter Lopez tribute in ' of his short but incredible life,' and said they would thank each person individually if it weren't 'impossible' due to the sheer volume of support they've received

'I am unbelievably saddened and heartbroken for the Lopez family as they grieve over the loss of their American Hero,' wrote Sheriff Chad Bianco on August 27. 'Hunter Lopez, son of our own Captain Herman Lopez and Deputy Alicia Lopez, tragically lost his life while serving our country.'

The Riverside Sheriff's Association said in a statement that they were 'heartbroken to hear the news about Hunter, who chose to follow a life of service, selflessness, courage and sacrifice, like his parents.'

'So many people told us that they couldn't find the right words to express their sympathy. We, likewise, realized that there were no words to express our deep level of appreciation adequately. We have only two words for everyone: Thank You.'

A fundraising effort by the department for Lopez's family has raised nearly $30,000 of a $40,000 goal. 

Riverside Sheriff Chad Bianco took to Facebook on August 27 to pay tribute to Lopez, who said their entire department is mourning his death. 

'I am unbelievably saddened and heartbroken for the Lopez family as they grieve over the loss of their American Hero,' he wrote. 

'Hunter Lopez, son of our own Captain Herman Lopez and Deputy Alicia Lopez, tragically lost his life while serving our country.'

The Riverside Sheriff's Association said in a statement that they were 'heartbroken to hear the news about Hunter, who chose to follow a life of service, selflessness, courage and sacrifice, like his parents.'

Bianco wrote that, before enlisting in the Marine Corps, Lopez served in the department's Sheriff Explorer Program. 

The city of Indio paid tribute to Lopez on Monday, according to local outlet Desert Sun, by displaying a photo memorial and yellow roses in the shade of an Afghan pine tree on the west side of City Hall. The public were invited to pay respects until the display is removed on September 11.