President Donald Trump will travel to Dover Air Force Base on Saturday to honor six U.S. Army Reserve soldiers killed in a drone strike in Kuwait. The soldiers, all from Iowa's 103rd Sustainment Command, died just one day after the U.S. and Israel began military operations against Iran.
President Donald Trump is scheduled to attend a solemn ceremony at Dover Air Force Base this Saturday, where he will honor six American soldiers who lost their lives in Middle East combat operations.
The ceremony, known as a dignified transfer, represents one of the most profound responsibilities any president must fulfill. Trump previously described witnessing these transfers as “the toughest thing I have to do” during his presidency.
Taking to his social media platform Friday evening, Trump announced: “I will be going to Dover Air Force Base tomorrow, with the First Lady and Members of my Cabinet, to pay our Highest Respect to our Great Warriors, who are returning home for the last time. GOD BLESS THEM ALL!”
The fallen service members include Sgt. 1st Class Nicole Amor, 39, from White Bear Lake, Minnesota; Capt. Cody Khork, 35, from Winter Haven, Florida; Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert Marzan, 54, from Sacramento, California; Maj. Jeffrey O’Brien, 45, from Indianola, Iowa; Sgt. 1st Class Noah Tietjens, 42, from Bellevue, Nebraska; and Sgt. Declan Coady, 20, from West Des Moines, Iowa, who received a posthumous promotion from specialist.
All six Army Reserve members served with the 103rd Sustainment Command headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa, a unit responsible for delivering essential supplies including food, fuel, water, ammunition, and transportation equipment. Their deaths resulted from a drone attack on a command facility in Kuwait, occurring just 24 hours after U.S. and Israeli forces began their military offensive against Iran.
Iowa Republican Senator Joni Ernst, who has combat experience, honored the fallen soldiers after their identities were released, stating: “These soldiers engaged in the most noble mission: protecting their fellow Americans and keeping our homeland secure. Our nation owes them an incredible debt of gratitude that can never be repaid.”
The ceremonial process involves flag-draped transfer cases containing the soldiers’ remains being moved from the transport aircraft to vehicles that will carry them to the base’s mortuary facility. There, the service members receive final preparation for burial.
Joey Amor, Nicole’s husband, revealed earlier this week that his wife was expected to return home to their family and two children in just a few days.
“You don’t go to Kuwait thinking something’s going to happen, and for her to be one of the first – it hurts,” Joey Amor expressed.
Major O’Brien dedicated nearly 15 years to Army Reserve service, his LinkedIn profile shows. His aunt remembered him on Facebook as “the sweetest blue-eyed, blonde farm kid you’d ever know. He is so missed already.”
Robert Marzan’s sister paid tribute to him on Facebook, calling him a “strong leader” and devoted family man.
“My baby brother, you are loved and I will hold onto all our memories and cherish them always in my heart,” Elizabeth Marzan posted.
Despite being among the youngest in his training class, Declan Coady excelled at military computer system troubleshooting and made a strong impression on his instructors, according to his father Andrew Coady, who spoke with The Associated Press.
“He trained hard, he worked hard, his physical fitness was important to him. He loved being a soldier,” Coady explained. “He was also one of the most kindest people you would ever meet, and he would do anything and everything for anyone.”
Cody Khork’s relatives remembered him as “the life of the party” with an “infectious spirit” and “generous heart,” noting his childhood dream of military service.
“That commitment helped shape the course of his life and reflected the deep sense of duty that was always at the core of who he was,” his parents Donna Burhans, James Khork, and stepmother Stacey Khork said in their statement.
Noah Tietjens carried on his family’s military tradition, having previously deployed to Kuwait alongside his father. His February 2010 homecoming featured an emotional reunion with his wife at a local church gymnasium.
Tietjens’ cousin Kaylyn Golike requested prayers for his surviving family members, including his 12-year-old son, wife, and parents as they cope with this “unimaginable loss.”
Trump’s most recent Dover visit occurred in December, when he paid respects to two Iowa National Guard members and a U.S. civilian interpreter killed in a Syrian desert ambush. His first presidential term included multiple dignified transfer ceremonies, honoring fallen service members from various conflicts including a Navy SEAL from a Yemen operation, Army officers who died in an Afghanistan helicopter crash, and soldiers killed by an attacker wearing an Afghan army uniform.