Pentagon names four US soldiers killed in Kuwait drone strike amid Iran conflict
The Pentagon announced that four of the six soldiers killed in the Iran war died in a drone attack in Kuwait.
All four Army Reserve soldiers were killed when a drone crashed into a command center in Port Shuaiba, Kuwait, on Sunday, just a day after the United States and Israel launched military action against Iran, which launched retaliatory strikes.
All were assigned to the 103rd Sustainment Command in Des Moines, Lowa.
Among those killed were: Capt. Cody A. Khork, 35, of Winter Haven, Florida; Sergeant. 1st Class Noah L. Tietjens, 42, of Bellevue, Nebraska; Sergeant. 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 other people were also found, although their identities have not yet been released.
A source who knows the tragedy he told CNN The makeshift command center was said to have received a direct hit to the center of the building, which they described as a three-wide caravan containing office space, just after 9 a.m. local time.
The source added that the attack happened so quickly that no warning or siren was heard for the troops to evacuate or enter the shelter.
The source said that hours after the attack, the fire was still burning in some parts of the building and the walls were blown out due to the explosion.
The Pentagon identified the four soldiers killed in a drone strike in Kuwait as Capt. Cody A. Khork, 35, (left) of Winter Haven, Florida, and Sgt. 1st Class Nicole M. Amor, 39, of White Bear Lake, Minnesota
Sergeant. 1st Class Noah L. Tietjens, 42, of Bellevue, Nebraska, and Spc. Declan J. Coady, 20, of West Des Moines, Lowa, was also killed
All four Army Reserve soldiers were killed Sunday when a drone crashed into a command center in Shuaiba Port, Kuwait. Smoke can be seen rising from the area around the US Embassy following the attack in Kuwait on Monday.
There are concrete barriers surrounding the command center, typical for overseas military structures, but nothing that could protect it from drones or missiles, the source said.
All three officials he told CBS News Before the attack, there was debate on the ground about whether the tactical operations center in question should not be used because it concentrated too many people in a location that could not be easily defended, he said.
But Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Monday that the attack hit a ‘fortified tactical operations centre’.
He later claimed that there was only one bullet that could penetrate air defenses.
The strike on the facility is currently under investigation.
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump vowed to ‘avenge’ the fallen soldiers, warning that others could die as the operation continues.
“America will avenge their deaths and deal the heaviest blow to the terrorists who are essentially waging war against civilization,” he said from Mar-a-Lago on Sunday, hours after the explosion.
Trump later called the three service members ‘true American patriots who made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation even as we pursued the righteous mission for which they gave their lives.’
A friend took to social media to remember Khork as someone who was always there for himself and others, even when he “had nothing to his name and never complained about it.”
As smoke rises from the Iranian attack on the area where the US Embassy in Kuwait is located, drivers can be seen driving along the street.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Dan Caine also praised the soldiers killed in ‘Operation Epic Fury’ as ‘the best our country has to offer’ and ‘true examples of what selfless service means’.
“We conveyed our deepest and most heartfelt condolences to their families, friends and units,” he said. ‘We mourn with you and we will never forget you.’
The soldiers’ friends have since begun sharing memories of their loved ones; A friend of Captain Khork shared on Facebook that “he has been by my side for over 16 years of my life and has been a part of every significant event I have experienced.”
“He shaped me into the person I am today,” the friend wrote, adding that Khork “knew more about me than anyone else and was the first person to return my calls, even when I called in the middle of the night.”
‘He helped me get through the hardest and worst parts of my life and was there to celebrate the best moments.
‘I saw him support others and me through the years when he had nothing to his name and never complained about it. “That’s just the kind of person he was,” his friend continued.
‘He defended our freedom by doing what he loved. RIP brother, Valhalla awaits you. ‘We’ll see each other again.’
Locals in Minnesota organized a food train to help Amor’s husband and two children
In Nebraska, Governor Jim Pillen ordered flags to be flown at half-staff in memory of Tietjens (pictured)
A friend of Amor’s also said she was “a special person, a great team and a great mother.”
‘I can’t find the words,’ his friend wrote. ‘The world is a darker place without him.’
Amor enlisted in the National Guard as a 92 (Automated Logistics Specialist) in 2005, was transferred to the Army Reserve in 2006, and was previously deployed to Kuwait and Iraq in 2019.
He earned a number of awards and decorations for his 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 the Armed Forces Reserve Medal with ‘M’ Device.
Natives in Minnesota now organized a food train to help her husband, Joey, and their two children, Adeline and Owen.
Meanwhile, in Nebraska, Governor Jim Pillen ordered flags to be flown at half-staff in Tietjens’ memory and said he and the state’s First Lady were deeply saddened to learn of Tietjens’ death.
“We hold the Tietjens family close to our hearts and will keep them in our prayers during this incredibly difficult time,” the governor said in a statement.
‘Noah stepped up to serve and defend the American people against foreign enemies around the world; This is a sacrifice we must never forget. Please join us in praying for the Tietjens and all members of the U.S. military who are in harm’s way to protect our freedom.’
