By Gabe Whisnant
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The Pentagon and U.S. Army Reserve on Tuesday identified four Army Reserve soldiers killed in a drone strike in Kuwait, saying they died while supporting Operation Epic Fury during the escalating war with Iran.
The soldiers were killed March 1 when an unmanned aircraft system struck a command center at the Port of Shuaiba, a key logistics hub used by U.S. forces, military officials said. The attack came one day after the United States and Israel launched their military campaign against Iran, which has since retaliated with missile and drone strikes across the region.
All four soldiers were assigned to the 103rd Sustainment Command, based in Des Moines, Iowa, which provides food, fuel, water, ammunition, transportation and equipment to U.S. troops.
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The incident remains under investigation, the Army Reserve said.
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Names of the Soldiers Killed
Those killed were Capt. Cody Khork, 35, of Winter Haven, Florida; Sgt. 1st Class Nicole Amor, 39, of White Bear Lake, Minnesota; Sgt. 1st Class Noah Tietjens, 42, of Bellevue, Nebraska; and Sgt. Declan Coady, 20, of Des Moines, Iowa. Coady was posthumously promoted from specialist, officials said. Two additional service members killed in the attack have not yet been publicly identified.
“These men and women all bravely volunteered to defend our country, and their sacrifice will never be forgotten,” Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll said in a statement shared with Newsweek.
Army Reserve Leaders Honor the Fallen
Lt. Gen. Robert Harter, chief of the Army Reserve and commanding general of U.S. Army Reserve Command, said the soldiers’ service and sacrifice would endure.
“We honor our fallen heroes, who served fearlessly and selflessly in defense of our nation,” Harter said. “Their sacrifice, and the sacrifices of their families, will never be forgotten.”
Maj. Gen. Todd Erskine, commanding general of the 79th Theater Sustainment Command, praised the soldiers’ commitment.
“Our nation is kept safe by folks like these—brave men and women who put it all on the line every single day,” Erskine said. “They represent the heart of America. We will remember their names, their service, and their sacrifice.”
Brig. Gen. Clint A. Barnes, deputy commanding general of the 1st Theater Sustainment Command, called the soldiers “the ultimate ambassadors for freedom.”
“They represent the best of what our country stands for,” Barnes said. “May God grant their families peace and comfort in their memories. We will never forget them.”
President Donald Trump, speaking about the war, said additional casualties were possible as fighting continues. “Sadly, there will likely be more, before it ends. That’s the way it is,” he said.
Backgrounds and Service Histories
Amor enlisted in the National Guard in 2005 and later transferred to the Army Reserve, deploying to Kuwait and Iraq in 2019. She was just days from returning home to her husband and two children when she was killed, her family said.
“You don’t go to Kuwait thinking something’s going to happen, and for her to be one of the first – it hurts,” her husband, Joey Amor, said Tuesday.
He said Amor was an avid gardener who enjoyed making salsa from peppers and tomatoes grown in her garden with their son, a high school senior. She also liked rollerblading and bicycling with their fourth‑grade daughter.
“If you needed anything she would just take care of it for you,” Joey Amor said. “She’s helped a lot of people through a lot of dark times and brought a lot of light to this world.”
Several family photos shared on social media by the Armors show the couple with their teenage son. In a post last November, Joey Amor wrote about his love for his wife while she was deployed, expressing appreciation for the ways she stayed connected despite being far from home.
“Even while you are on the other side of the world you found a way to make my birthday special,” he said. “I love you!”
Tietjens enlisted in the Army Reserve in 2006 and deployed twice to Kuwait. Nebraska U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts, a Republican, said Tuesday that he and his wife were mourning the death of Tietjens and praying for his family.
“May we always remember and honor the sacrifices made by Noah Tietjens and the Tietjens family,” Ricketts said.
Tietjens was married and had a young son, according to a family Facebook page. A photo shared online shows the couple with their son wearing a martial arts uniform
Coady enlisted in 2023 as an information technology specialist and was a student at Drake University, according to his LinkedIn profile. He said he had learned how to "interact with countless different kinds of people from all different backgrounds” through his service.
Coady became an Eagle Scout in 2020, according to a Facebook post from his West Des Moines troop. An Iowa organization that helps homeless children said he made 12 Adirondack chairs for the group.
Khork enlisted in the National Guard in 2009 and later commissioned as an Army Reserve officer. He previously deployed to Saudi Arabia, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and Poland, the Army said.
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Iran War Casualties: What to Know
Four days into a war that President Trump has suggested could last several weeks or longer, nearly 800 people have been killed in Iran, including some whom Trump said he had considered as possible future leaders of the country, according to casualty figures released by Iranian authorities.
In Lebanon, Israeli retaliatory strikes against the Iranian‑backed militant group Hezbollah killed 50 people, including seven children, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry.
In addition to the U.S. soldiers, Iranian strikes have killed three people were killed in the United Arab Emirates, and one each in Kuwait and Bahrain.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Tuesday criticized Iran’s attacks on Gulf states that had sought to prevent the war, calling them an “incredibly flawed strategy” and warning the strikes could widen the conflict if the affected countries choose to retaliate.
Updates: 3/3/26, 7:04 p.m. ET: This article was updated with new information and remarks.
Updates: 3/3/26, 7:45 p.m. ET: This article was updated with new information and remarks.
This article includes reporting by the Associated Press.
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