President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump attend the repatriation of soldiers killed in a drone strike on a command center in Kuwait after the United States and Israel launched military operations against Iran, Saturday, March 7, 2026, at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware.
Julia Demarie Nikinson | Julia Demarie Nikinson AP Photo
President Donald Trump joined grieving families Saturday at Dover Air Force Base for the dignified transfer of six U.S. soldiers killed in the Middle East war.
The dignified transfer is a ceremonial return of the remains of American soldiers killed in action and is considered one of the commander-in-chief’s most solemn duties. Trump said during his first term that witnessing the transition was “the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do” as president.
“It’s a very sad day,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One after returning to Florida late Saturday afternoon. “I’m glad to be able to pay my respects.” He said the deceased’s relatives were “great people, great parents, wives, families” and that “their parents were so proud.”
Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance, as well as their spouses, also witnessed the transfer. A number of senior government officials were in attendance, including Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, who wrote in a social media post on Friday: “The indomitable spirit we honor their memory and the determination they embodied.” Attorney General Pam Bondi, Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard.
The solemn event was also attended by governors and senators from Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska and Florida.
The man killed in action was Major Jeffrey O’Brien, 45, of Indianola, Iowa. Captain Cody Koch, 35, of Winter Haven, Florida; Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert Marzan, 54, of Sacramento, California. Sergeant First Class Nicole Amor, 39, of White Bear Lake, Minnesota. Sergeant First Class Noah Tietjens, 42, of Bellevue, Nebraska. And Sgt. Declan Cody, 20, of West Des Moines, LA, was posthumously promoted from specialist.
Trump, who wore a blue suit, red tie and white U.S. cap, as is customary, did not speak during the transfer. The President saluted each flag-draped transfer case as it was carried from a military aircraft to a waiting transfer vehicle. The transport vehicle will take the body to the morgue and prepare it for its final resting place. The family watched the ceremony, which lasted about 30 minutes, in almost silence.
The six Army Reserve members killed in the drone attack on the Kuwait command center were all from the 103rd Sustainment Command, based in Des Moines, Iowa, which provides food, fuel, water, ammunition, transportation equipment and supplies. They died just one day after the US and Israel launched a military operation against Iran.
“These soldiers were engaged in the noblest of missions: protecting their fellow Americans and keeping our country safe,” Iowa Republican Sen. Joni Ernst, a veteran, said earlier this week after the six men were identified. “Our country owes them an incredible debt that we will never be able to repay.”
A military transport team moves a flag-draped transport case containing the remains of Sgt. Declan Cody, 20, of West Des Moines, Iowa, killed in a drone strike at a command center in Kuwait after the U.S. and Israel launched military operations against Iran, along with former President Donald Trump, first lady Melania Trump, Vice President J.D.
Mark Schiefelbein | AP Photo
During the ceremony, a transport case draped with an American flag containing the remains of a fallen soldier is transferred from the military plane that transported them to a waiting vehicle and taken to a mortuary facility on base. There, military personnel are preparing for their final resting place.
Amor’s husband, Joey Amor, said earlier this week that he planned to return home to Amor and their two children within the next few days.
“You don’t go to Kuwait expecting something to happen, and it’s tough for her to be one of the first,” Joey Amor said.
O’Brien served in the Army Reserve for nearly 15 years, according to his LinkedIn account, and his aunt said in a Facebook post that O’Brien was “the sweetest blue-eyed blonde farm kid I’ve ever known. I miss him so much already.”
In a Facebook post, Marzan’s sister described him as a “strong leader,” a loving husband, father and brother.
“My brother, you are loved. I will cherish all of our memories and always hold them in my heart,” Elizabeth Marzan wrote.
Cody, one of the youngest in his class and trained to troubleshoot military computer systems, impressed his instructors, his father, Andrew Cody, told The Associated Press.
“He trained hard and worked hard. Physical fitness was important to him. He loved being a Soldier,” Cody said. “He was also one of the kindest people I’ve ever met, someone who would do anything for anyone.”
Mr Koch’s family described him as the “life of the party”, known for his “infectious spirit” and “generosity of heart”, and who had wanted to serve in the military from an early age.
“His dedication helped shape his life and reflected the deep sense of duty that was always at the core of who he was,” said a statement from his mother, Donna Burhans, father, James Koch, and stepmother, Stacey Koch.
Mr. Tietjens comes from a military family and previously served in Kuwait with his father. When I returned home in February 2010, I was reunited with my overjoyed wife in the local church gymnasium.
Tietjens’ cousin Kaylin Gorike asked for prayers, especially for Tietjens’ 12-year-old son, wife and parents as they overcome an “unimaginable loss.”
President Trump most recently visited Dover in December to honor the memory of two Iowa National Guard soldiers and a U.S. civilian interpreter killed in an ambush in the Syrian desert. He attended several dignified transfers during his first term. Those include a Navy SEAL killed during a raid in Yemen, two Army officers whose helicopter crashed in Afghanistan, and two Army soldiers killed in Afghanistan when a person wearing an Afghan uniform opened fire on them.
