Pentagon identifies four US soldiers killed in war with Iran
By Haley Britzky, CNN
(CNN) — The Pentagon has identified four of the six US service members who were killed in an Iranian drone strike on Sunday.
The soldiers are Capt. Cody Khork, 35; Sgt. 1st Class Noah Tietjens, 42; Sgt. 1st Class Nicole Amor, 39; and Sgt. Declan Coady, 20. All four were assigned to the 103rd Sustainment Command, an Army Reserve sustainment unit out of Iowa.
The two other soldiers who were killed in the strike on Sunday have not yet been identified.
“It with deep sadness and unyielding grief that we acknowledge and recognize our soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country. Our soldiers relentlessly, consistently, and fearlessly served with sincere dedication and pride,” Brig. Gen. Clint A. Barnes, deputy commanding general of the 1st Theater Sustainment Command, said in a release by the US Army Reserve on Tuesday.
“They were the ultimate ambassadors for freedom,” Barnes said. “They represent the best of what our country stands for. May God grant their families peace and comfort in their memories. We will never forget them.”
CNN first reported that the suspected drone strike hit a temporary tactical operations center at the port of Shuaiba in Kuwait on Sunday. At the time of their deaths the soldiers were serving with 1st Theater Sustainment Command.
A source familiar with the situation described the operation center as a triple-wide trailer with office space inside; the building was surrounded by concrete barriers that are typically used to protect military structures overseas from things like car bombs and improvised explosive devices. However, there was nothing overhead that could shield the building from drones or missiles.
There was no siren or warning ahead of the strike to give the troops time to take cover in a bunker, the source familiar said.
Khork, from Lakeland, Florida, enlisted in the National Guard in 2009 as a multiple launch rocket system/fire direction specialist. He commissioned as a military police officer in the Army Reserve in 2014, and deployed to Saudi Arabia; Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; and Poland. His awards and decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal and Joint Service Achievement Medal.
Amor, from White Bear Lake, Minnesota, enlisted as an automated logistics specialist in the National Guard in 2005. She transferred to the Army Reserve a year later, and deployed to Kuwait and Iraq in 2019. Among her decorations are the Army Commendation Medal, National Defense Service Medal and Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal.
Tietjens was from Bellevue, Nebraska, and enlisted in the Army Reserve in 2006 as a wheeled vehicle mechanic. He had deployed to Kuwait twice before, in 2009 and 2019. His awards and decorations also include the Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal and Army Achievement Medal.
Coady, from Des Moines, Iowa, was posthumously promoted from specialist to sergeant. He enlisted in the Army Reserve in 2023 as an Army information technology specialist. His awards include the Army Service Ribbon, National Defense Service Ribbon and Overseas Service Ribbon.
1st Theater Sustainment Command is a stand-alone group based out of Fort Knox, Kentucky, composed of troops from units around the country who are assigned to support roles overseas in nine-month rotations.
The command oversees the resupply and support of US forces around the Middle East, bringing in ammunition, water, fuel, food, repair parts and more. It also manages ports and flights, according to the command’s website, to “keep people and equipment moving 24 hours a day, seven days a week.”
Eighteen service members have been seriously wounded as a result of the conflict with Iran, according to US Central Command.
President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have indicated that more casualties are likely expected.
“They’re great people,” Trump said about the six troops who were killed in a phone interview with the Daily Mail. “And, you know, we expect that to happen, unfortunately. Could happen continuous — it could happen again.”
This story has been updated with additional details.
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