The Pentagon has released the names of four of the six service members who have been killed in the Iran war, saying they died in a drone strike in Kuwait.
All four Army Reserve soldiers were killed when a drone hit a command center in Port Shuaiba, Kuwait on Sunday – just one day after the US and Israel launched its military campaign against Iran, which has launched retaliatory strikes.
All were assigned to the 103rd Sustainment Command in Des Moines, lowa.
Killed were Capt. Cody A. Khork, 35, of Winter Haven, Florida; Sgt. 1st Class Noah L. Tietjens, 42, of Bellevue, Nebraska; Sgt. 1st Class Nicole M. Amor, 39, of White Bear Lake, Minnesota; and Spc. Declan J. Coady, 20, of West Des Moines, lowa.
The remains of two others have also been located, though their identifications have not yet been released.
A source familiar with the tragedy told CNN that the makeshift command center was struck by a direct hit at the center of the building, which they described as a triple-wide trailer with office space inside, just after 9am local time.
The attack came very quickly, with no warning or sirens to alert troops to evacuate or get into a bunker, the source added.
Hours after the attack, the source said, fire was still smoldering in some parts of the building, with the walls blown outwards from the blast.
The command center had concrete barriers surrounding it, which is typical for military structures overseas, but nothing that could shield it from drones or missiles, the source said.
Three officials also told CBS News that prior to the attack, there had been discussion on the ground about whether the tactical operations center in question should not have been used as it concentrated too many people in a location that was not easily defended.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, however, said on Monday that the strike hit a ‘tactical operation center that was fortified.’
He then claimed that there was just ‘one’ projectile that made it through the air defenses.
The strike on the facility now remains under investigation.
In the meantime, President Donald Trump has vowed to ‘avenge’ the fallen soldiers, as he warned that others may die as the operation continues.
‘America will avenge their deaths and deliver the most punishing blow to the terrorists who have waged war against basically, civilization,’ he said from Mar-a-Lago on Sunday, hours after the blast.
Trump then called the three service members ‘true American patriots who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation, even as we continue the righteous mission for which they gave their lives.’
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Speaking to reporters on Monday, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine also killed the service members killed in ‘Operation Epic Fury’ as ‘the best that our nation has to offer’ and ‘true examples of what selfless service means.’
‘Our deepest and heartfelt condolences are with the families, their friend and their units,’ he said. ‘We grieve with you and we will never forget you.’
The soldiers’ friends have since started to share their own memories of their loved ones, with a friend of Captain Khork’s taking to Facebook to share how he had been there for him ‘for over 16 years of my life and been part of every major life event I’ve had.
‘He has shaped me into the person that I am today,’ the friend wrote, adding that Khork ‘knows more about me than anyone else and he was the first person to answer my call, even when I called in the middle of the night.
‘He’s helped me get through the hardest and lowest parts of my life and been there to celebrate the best.
‘I’ve watched him support others and myself through the years when he had nothing to his name and never complained about it. That’s just the type of person he was,’ the friend continued.
‘He went out doing what he loved, defending our freedom. RIP brother, Valhalla is waiting for you. We will see each other again.’
A friend of Amor’s also said she ‘was a special person, a hell of a troop and an amazing mom.
‘I’m at a loss for words,’ the friend wrote. ‘The world is a darker place without her in it.’
Amor had enlisted in the National Guard as a 92 (Automated Logistics Specialist) in 2005, transferred to the Army Reserve in 2006 and had previously been deployed to Kuwait and Iraq in 2019.
She has earned a number of awards and decorations for her service, including the Army Commendation Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Service Medal, NCO Professional Development Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon and Armed Forces Reserve Medal with ‘M’ Device.
Locals in Minnesota have now organized a meal train to help out her husband, Joey, and their two children, Adeline and Owen.
Meanwhile in Nebraska, Governor Jim Pillen ordered flags to fly at half-staff to honor Tietjens, saying he and the First Lady of the state were deeply saddened to learn of his death.
‘We are holding the Tietjens family close in our hearts during this unbelievably difficult time and will keep them in our prayers,’ the governor said in a statement.
‘Noah stepped up to serve and defend the American people from foreign enemies around the world – a sacrifice we must never forget. Please join us in praying for the Tietjens and for all members of the United States military who stand in harm’s way to protect our freedom.’
