️ The US military has confirmed the identities of all six soldiers killed in the ongoing conflict with Iran. The personnel died on Sunday when an unmanned aircraft system evaded air defenses to strike a command center in Port Shuaiba, Kuwait. US Central Command initially reported three fatalities, but officials confirmed on Monday that the death toll had doubled after one individual succumbed to injuries and two more bodies were recovered from the rubble.
️ The deceased have been identified as Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert M. Marzan, 54; Maj. Jeffrey R. O’Brien, 45; Capt. Cody Khork, 35; Sgt. Noah Tietjens, 42; Sgt. Nicole Amor, 39; and Sgt. Declan Coady, 20, who was posthumously promoted from specialist. The six individuals, identified by the Pentagon, were members of the Army Reserve, which provides logistical support to broader US military operations. Four were identified on Tuesday, with the identities of the final two—Marzan and O’Brien—disclosed on Wednesday.
️ US Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll stated, “These men and women all bravely volunteered to defend our country, and their sacrifice will never be forgotten.” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Wednesday that President Donald Trump intends to attend “the dignified transfer of these American heroes to stand in grief alongside their families.” She added that the Department of Defense is scheduling the repatriation of the remains.
️ Personal details of the fallen service members were also revealed. Capt. Cody Khork, a Florida resident, had previously deployed to Saudi Arabia, Guantanamo Bay, and Poland; his family told the Associated Press he had aspired to military service from a young age and joined the ROTC program at his university. Sgt. Nicole Amor of Minnesota had served in Kuwait and Iraq; her husband, Joey Amor, noted she was “almost home” and expressed pain over her loss. Sgt. Noah Tietjens of Nebraska had been deployed to Kuwait twice before and was described as a “deeply committed husband and father.” Sgt. Declan Coady of Iowa enlisted in the Army Reserve just three years ago and served as an information technologies specialist.
️ US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said in a briefing on Monday that a “powerful weapon” had struck a “fortified tactical operations center.” Three US military officials with knowledge of Iran’s attack told CBS that the soldiers had been working in a makeshift office space and questioned whether the building was adequately fortified, noting they were in a trailer shielded by steel-reinforced concrete barriers. The US maintains a long-standing defense relationship with Kuwait, with over 13,000 US troops stationed in the Gulf nation. Iran has responded to attacks against it by launching missiles at US-allied Gulf countries, including Bahrain, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Qatar.
Source: www.bbc.com