A soldier who “made you feel important,” a mother just days from returning home, and a son known to be the life of the party were among the first American troops to lose their lives in the line of duty in the war with Iran.The Pentagon has now identified all six U.S. service members killed Sunday in an Iranian strike on a makeshift operation center in Kuwait’s Shuaiba port.All were assigned to the 103rd Sustainment Command, an Army Reserve sustainment unit out of Iowa, and were serving at what Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth described as a “tactical operation center that was fortified,” when a projectile made it through air defenses in an attack that came without warning.A source familiar with the situation described the center as a triple wide trailer, surrounded by concrete barriers typically used to protect military structures overseas from things like car bombs and improvised explosive devices – but there was nothing overhead that could shield the building from drones or missiles.The attack happened on just the second day of U.S. and Israeli military operations against Iran.“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, husband of one of the slain soldiers, Sgt. 1st Class Nicole Amor, told The Associated Press.The service members varied in careers, but all dedicated themselves to public service, thousands of miles away from their families, despite the unmistakable risks.Maj. Jeffrey O’BrienO’Brien was “the sweetest blue-eyed, blonde farm kid you’d ever know,” his aunt Mary Melchert said in a tribute on Facebook.O’Brien, a computer engineering graduate from Iowa State University, was in the reserves for 17 years and leaves behind a wife and three kids, his aunt said.“War is real … loss is real … He is so missed already. Love you forever, Jeff,” his aunt wrote.The 45-year-old commissioned in the Army Reserve as a Signal Corps Officer in 2012. He received several awards and decorations, including the Army Achievement Medal, Meritorious Unit Commendation, Army Superior Unit Award, Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal and Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal.He was killed while serving in support of the 1st Theater Sustainment Command, which oversees the resupply and sustainment of troops across the Middle East, according to the Pentagon.O’Brien was “straightforward” and unafraid to speak his mind as a captain while deployed to Kuwait in 2019, Sujet said.“He would tell me and give me his honest opinion on what I needed to know,” he said. “He was very frank and he was technically confident, very professional.”Gov. Reynolds expressed her condolences, writing in a statement: “Our hearts are broken by the deaths of Major Jeffrey O’Brien and Sergeant Declan Coady, two brave Iowa soldiers who gave the ultimate sacrifice to secure freedom and peace.”Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert MarzanMarzan was described by his sister as “a strong leader who lived by example,” referring to him as a loving husband, father, brother, uncle and friend.“My baby brother, you are loved, and I will hold onto all our memories and cherish them always in my heart,” Elizabeth Marzan wrote in a Facebook post.Marzan, 54, was from Sacramento, California, and was also serving in support of the 1st Theater Sustainment Command.Final positive identification by a medical examiner is still pending, the Pentagon said, though Marzan was present at the scene of the drone strike and is believed to have been killed in the attack.California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a statement praising Marzan’s service and offering condolences to his wife and family.“California mourns the loss of Chief Warrant Officer Three Robert M. Marzan, a courageous Californian whose service to our nation was marked by honor and distinction,” Newsom wrote.Marzan was a “pretty down to earth guy” but still “blunt and honest about what his thoughts were,” said Sujet, the retired Army colonel.Sujet, who served in the military for 33 years, said it’s “not common” that four service members – Marzan, O’Brien, Amor and Tietjens – would return years later to the same unit they served in together in 2019.“It goes to show the camaraderie in the unit that we had, that these soldiers felt so comfortable with each other that they would actually go back six years later and they came in the same unit,” Sujet said.Capt. Cody KhorkKhork, who was 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.Behind his sense of duty was “a man whose life was defined by devotion, character, and service,” his parents and stepmother said in a statement Tuesday.”Cody was truly the life of the party, known for his infectious spirit, generous heart, and deep care for those who served alongside him and for everyone blessed to know him,” the statement said.Khork loved history and had a degree in political science, which showed “his sharp mind and his sincere appreciation for the principles and sacrifices that have shaped our nation,” his family said.His awards and decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal and Joint Service Achievement Medal.Sgt. 1st Class Nicole AmorAmor, 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.Amor, who was a mother to a high school senior and a fourth-grader, was just days away from returning home to her family, her husband, Joey Amor, told the AP.“She was almost home,” Joey Amor told the AP, and said he had spoken to her two hours before she died, but, “She just never responded in the morning.”A week before the attack, she had been moved off base to a shipping container-style building, her husband told the AP.“They were dispersing because they were in fear that the base they were on was going to get attacked and they felt it was safer in smaller groups in separate places,” he said.Amor’s decorations included the Army Commendation Medal, National Defense Service Medal and Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal.Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said the state was mourning the loss of Amor.“She answered the call to serve and gave her life in service to our state and nation,” Walz wrote on X. “Minnesotans are wrapping our arms around her loved ones.”Sgt. 1st Class Noah TietjensTietjens 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.“Sgt. Tietjens was the kind of guy that was always around to help you. No matter what you needed … he made you feel important. And that’s hard to find sometimes in the military,” Army Staff Sgt. Jonn Coleman, a fellow Nebraska soldier, told sister station KETV.Coleman credits Tietjens’ mentorship as the reason he was able to advance his military career: “He took me under his wing and got me to where I needed to be.”In Bellevue, Tietjens and his wife and son were prominent members of a martial arts studio, where he earned a black belt in Taekwondo and was an instructor, according to a tribute the studio posted on social media about him.“He did not simply wear a Black Belt, he lived it,” Martial Arts International said in the post, praising Tietjens as “a devoted husband and father.” The studio said a college fund has been established for Tietjens’ son.Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen called for prayers for Tietjens’ family and praised the fallen soldier’s service to the country.“Noah stepped up to serve and defend the American people from foreign enemies around the world — a sacrifice we must never forget,” the governor wrote on X.Nebraska U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts said in a statement his “heart and prayers are with the Tietjens family as they mourn the loss of their heroic son.”Sgt. Declan CoadyCoady, from Des Moines, Iowa, was posthumously promoted from specialist to sergeant. He told his father just last week he’d been recommended for the promotion, sister station KCCI reported.Coady enlisted in the Army Reserve in 2023 as an Army information technology specialist. Among the youngest in his class, Coady stood out to his instructors, his father, Andrew Coady, told the AP.“He was very good at what he did,” he said.While deployed in Kuwait, Coady was continuing his coursework online and had set his sights on becoming a commissioned officer, according to the AP. He was studying information systems, cybersecurity and computer science at Drake University, school officials told CNN, describing him as “well-loved and highly dedicated.”For his sister, Keira Coady, the loss is hard to accept. “I still don’t fully think it’s real,” she told the AP. “I just remember all of our conversations about what he was going to do when he came back.”Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds honored Coady for his service, saying in a statement he “heroically answered his nation’s call to duty and gave the ultimate sacrifice.”Coady’s military awards include the Army Service Ribbon, National Defense Service Ribbon and Overseas Service Ribbon.
A soldier who “made you feel important,” a mother just days from returning home, and a son known to be the life of the party were among the first American troops to lose their lives in the line of duty in the war with Iran.
The Pentagon has now identified all six U.S. service members killed Sunday in an Iranian strike on a makeshift operation center in Kuwait’s Shuaiba port.
All were assigned to the 103rd Sustainment Command, an Army Reserve sustainment unit out of Iowa, and were serving at what Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth described as a “tactical operation center that was fortified,” when a projectile made it through air defenses in an attack that came without warning.
A source familiar with the situation described the center as a triple wide trailer, surrounded by concrete barriers typically used to protect military structures overseas from things like car bombs and improvised explosive devices – but there was nothing overhead that could shield the building from drones or missiles.
The attack happened on just the second day of U.S. and Israeli military operations against Iran.
“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, husband of one of the slain soldiers, Sgt. 1st Class Nicole Amor, told The Associated Press.
The service members varied in careers, but all dedicated themselves to public service, thousands of miles away from their families, despite the unmistakable risks.
Maj. Jeffrey O’Brien
O’Brien was “the sweetest blue-eyed, blonde farm kid you’d ever know,” his aunt Mary Melchert said in a tribute on Facebook.
O’Brien, a computer engineering graduate from Iowa State University, was in the reserves for 17 years and leaves behind a wife and three kids, his aunt said.
“War is real … loss is real … He is so missed already. Love you forever, Jeff,” his aunt wrote.
The 45-year-old commissioned in the Army Reserve as a Signal Corps Officer in 2012. He received several awards and decorations, including the Army Achievement Medal, Meritorious Unit Commendation, Army Superior Unit Award, Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal and Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal.
He was killed while serving in support of the 1st Theater Sustainment Command, which oversees the resupply and sustainment of troops across the Middle East, according to the Pentagon.
O’Brien was “straightforward” and unafraid to speak his mind as a captain while deployed to Kuwait in 2019, Sujet said.
“He would tell me and give me his honest opinion on what I needed to know,” he said. “He was very frank and he was technically confident, very professional.”
Gov. Reynolds expressed her condolences, writing in a statement: “Our hearts are broken by the deaths of Major Jeffrey O’Brien and Sergeant Declan Coady, two brave Iowa soldiers who gave the ultimate sacrifice to secure freedom and peace.”
Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert Marzan
Marzan was described by his sister as “a strong leader who lived by example,” referring to him as a loving husband, father, brother, uncle and friend.
“My baby brother, you are loved, and I will hold onto all our memories and cherish them always in my heart,” Elizabeth Marzan wrote in a Facebook post.
Marzan, 54, was from Sacramento, California, and was also serving in support of the 1st Theater Sustainment Command.
Final positive identification by a medical examiner is still pending, the Pentagon said, though Marzan was present at the scene of the drone strike and is believed to have been killed in the attack.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a statement praising Marzan’s service and offering condolences to his wife and family.
“California mourns the loss of Chief Warrant Officer Three Robert M. Marzan, a courageous Californian whose service to our nation was marked by honor and distinction,” Newsom wrote.
Marzan was a “pretty down to earth guy” but still “blunt and honest about what his thoughts were,” said Sujet, the retired Army colonel.
Sujet, who served in the military for 33 years, said it’s “not common” that four service members – Marzan, O’Brien, Amor and Tietjens – would return years later to the same unit they served in together in 2019.
“It goes to show the camaraderie in the unit that we had, that these soldiers felt so comfortable with each other that they would actually go back six years later and they came in the same unit,” Sujet said.
Capt. Cody Khork
Khork, who was 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.
Behind his sense of duty was “a man whose life was defined by devotion, character, and service,” his parents and stepmother said in a statement Tuesday.
“Cody was truly the life of the party, known for his infectious spirit, generous heart, and deep care for those who served alongside him and for everyone blessed to know him,” the statement said.
Khork loved history and had a degree in political science, which showed “his sharp mind and his sincere appreciation for the principles and sacrifices that have shaped our nation,” his family said.
His awards and decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal and Joint Service Achievement Medal.
Sgt. 1st Class Nicole Amor
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.
Amor, who was a mother to a high school senior and a fourth-grader, was just days away from returning home to her family, her husband, Joey Amor, told the AP.
“She was almost home,” Joey Amor told the AP, and said he had spoken to her two hours before she died, but, “She just never responded in the morning.”
A week before the attack, she had been moved off base to a shipping container-style building, her husband told the AP.
“They were dispersing because they were in fear that the base they were on was going to get attacked and they felt it was safer in smaller groups in separate places,” he said.
Amor’s decorations included the Army Commendation Medal, National Defense Service Medal and Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said the state was mourning the loss of Amor.
“She answered the call to serve and gave her life in service to our state and nation,” Walz wrote on X. “Minnesotans are wrapping our arms around her loved ones.”
Sgt. 1st Class Noah Tietjens
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.
“Sgt. Tietjens was the kind of guy that was always around to help you. No matter what you needed … he made you feel important. And that’s hard to find sometimes in the military,” Army Staff Sgt. Jonn Coleman, a fellow Nebraska soldier, told sister station KETV.
Coleman credits Tietjens’ mentorship as the reason he was able to advance his military career: “He took me under his wing and got me to where I needed to be.”
In Bellevue, Tietjens and his wife and son were prominent members of a martial arts studio, where he earned a black belt in Taekwondo and was an instructor, according to a tribute the studio posted on social media about him.
“He did not simply wear a Black Belt, he lived it,” Martial Arts International said in the post, praising Tietjens as “a devoted husband and father.” The studio said a college fund has been established for Tietjens’ son.
Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen called for prayers for Tietjens’ family and praised the fallen soldier’s service to the country.
“Noah stepped up to serve and defend the American people from foreign enemies around the world — a sacrifice we must never forget,” the governor wrote on X.
Nebraska U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts said in a statement his “heart and prayers are with the Tietjens family as they mourn the loss of their heroic son.”
Sgt. Declan Coady
Coady, from Des Moines, Iowa, was posthumously promoted from specialist to sergeant. He told his father just last week he’d been recommended for the promotion, sister station KCCI reported.
Coady enlisted in the Army Reserve in 2023 as an Army information technology specialist. Among the youngest in his class, Coady stood out to his instructors, his father, Andrew Coady, told the AP.
“He was very good at what he did,” he said.
While deployed in Kuwait, Coady was continuing his coursework online and had set his sights on becoming a commissioned officer, according to the AP. He was studying information systems, cybersecurity and computer science at Drake University, school officials told CNN, describing him as “well-loved and highly dedicated.”
For his sister, Keira Coady, the loss is hard to accept. “I still don’t fully think it’s real,” she told the AP. “I just remember all of our conversations about what he was going to do when he came back.”
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds honored Coady for his service, saying in a statement he “heroically answered his nation’s call to duty and gave the ultimate sacrifice.”
Coady’s military awards include the Army Service Ribbon, National Defense Service Ribbon and Overseas Service Ribbon.
