Trump, First Lady Attend Dignified Transfer For Six U.S. Troops

President Donald J. Trump and First Lady Melania Trump traveled to Dover Air Force Base on Saturday to attend a solemn dignified transfer ceremony honoring six American service members killed in a March 1 Iranian drone attack in Kuwait.

The ceremony, one of the most solemn duties performed by a commander in chief, marked the return of the fallen troops to U.S. soil after they were killed while supporting Operation Epic Fury, a joint U.S.–Israeli military effort targeting Iranian military assets and leadership.

Vice President JD Vance and Second Lady Usha Vance joined the president and first lady at the ceremony. The leaders stood in silence as U.S. Army carry teams carefully transferred the flag-draped transfer cases from a military aircraft to awaiting vehicles while grieving family members watched.

All six troops served with the 103rd Sustainment Command based in Des Moines. The command plays a vital role in sustaining American military operations, providing essential logistics such as food, fuel, water, ammunition, and transportation of equipment and supplies for deployed forces.

The U.S. Department of War identified five of the fallen as Maj. Jeffery O’Brien, 45, of Indianola; Capt. Cody A. Khork, 35, of Winter Haven; Sgt. 1st Class Nicole Amor, 39, of White Bear Lake; Sgt. 1st Class Noah Tietjens, 42, of Bellevue; and Sgt. Declan Coady, 20, of West Des Moines. Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert Marzan, 54, of Sacramento is also believed to have been killed in the attack.

Transfer cases were used to bring the remains to Dover, where the service members will undergo formal identification procedures before being prepared for burial. Once the process is complete, each fallen soldier will be placed in a casket and transported to their final resting place with full military honors.

Speaking earlier at a gathering of Latin American leaders in Miami before traveling to Delaware, Trump reflected on the sacrifice made by the troops, describing the six as heroes “coming home in a different manner than they thought they’d be coming home.” He called the attack “a very sad situation” and pledged to keep American war deaths “to a minimum.”

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth was also present at the ceremony. In a statement posted Friday, he wrote of “an unbreakable spirit to honor their memory and the resolve they embodied.”

U.S. officials said the service members were supporting regional operations when an Iranian unmanned aerial vehicle struck their position in Port Shuaiba. The deadly strike occurred amid rising tensions between the United States and Iran following the launch of Operation Epic Fury.

Capt. Cody Khork began his military career by enlisting in the National Guard in 2009 as a multiple launch rocket system/fire direction specialist before commissioning as a military police officer in the Army Reserve in 2014. During his service, he deployed to Saudi Arabia in 2018, Guantánamo Bay in 2021, and Poland in 2024. His awards include the Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, and the Armed Forces Reserve Medal with the 10 Year Device and “M” Device.

Sgt. 1st Class Nicole Amor enlisted in the National Guard in 2005 as an automated logistics specialist before transferring to the Army Reserve the following year. She deployed to Kuwait and Iraq in 2019 and received several commendations, including the Army Commendation Medal and the Armed Forces Reserve Medal with an “M” Device.

Sgt. 1st Class Noah Tietjens joined the Army Reserve in 2006 as a wheeled vehicle mechanic and completed deployments to Kuwait in both 2009 and 2019. His decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal, Army Achievement Medal, and the Iraq Campaign Medal with Campaign Star.

Sgt. Declan Coady enlisted in the Army Reserve in 2023 as an information technology specialist. Following his death, he was posthumously promoted from specialist to sergeant. His awards include the National Defense Service Medal and the Overseas Service Ribbon.

Maj. Jeffery O’Brien served nearly 15 years in the Army Reserve after being commissioned as a Signal Corps officer in 2012. He was promoted to major in 2024 and previously deployed to Kuwait in 2019. Outside the military, he worked in cybersecurity and defensive cyber operations.

The dignified transfer at Dover Air Force Base — long recognized as the primary U.S. receiving site for fallen service members — concluded with full military honors, including salutes as each transfer case was carried with precision by the Army teams, underscoring the nation’s commitment to honoring those who made the ultimate sacrifice.