A devastating Iranian drone attack at the Port of Shuaiba, Kuwait, claimed the lives of six American service members, four of whom have now been publicly identified. The strike marks the first combat losses of Operation Epic Fury, the large-scale U.S.-Israeli military campaign launched against Iran on February 28, 2026.
The Fallen Soldiers
The Department of Defense confirmed on March 3 that all four identified soldiers belonged to the 103rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary), based in Des Moines, Iowa. They were killed on March 1 in what officials described as an unmanned aircraft system — a drone — attack that breached air defenses at an improvised operations center inside the civilian port.
The four identified service members are:
Capt. Cody Khork, 35, of Lakeland, Florida — a Military Police Officer who enlisted in 2009 and deployed to Saudi Arabia, Guantanamo Bay, and Poland
Sgt. 1st Class Nicole Amor, 39, of White Bear Lake, Minnesota — a veteran of deployments to Kuwait and Iraq who joined the National Guard in 2005
Sgt. 1st Class Noah Tietjens, 42, of Bellevue, Nebraska — a wheeled vehicle mechanic with two prior deployments to Kuwait
Sgt. Declan Coady, 20, of Des Moines, Iowa — an Army IT specialist who enlisted in 2023 and was posthumously promoted from specialist
Two additional soldiers killed in the same attack have not yet been publicly identified, pending family notifications.
The Attack
According to CNN, the Iranian strike targeted what officials described as an improvised operations center at Shuaiba port, and while the facility had some fortification, one projectile managed to breach air defenses. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed that the deaths resulted from the retaliatory Iranian strike on the bunker in Kuwait. U.S. Central Command also reported that 18 troops sustained serious injuries during the broader operation.
Operation Epic Fury: The Broader Context
Operation Epic Fury was launched at 1:15 AM ET on February 28, 2026, at the direction of President Donald Trump, in coordination with Israel. The campaign’s stated goal is to dismantle Iran’s security apparatus, targeting IRGC command-and-control centers, air defense systems, missile launch sites, and military airfields. In the first 72 hours alone, U.S. forces struck more than 1,700 targets across Iran, deploying assets ranging from B-2 stealth bombers to aircraft carriers and MQ-9 Reaper drones.
Trump announced the operation via Truth Social at 2:00 AM EST, framing it as a defensive measure to prevent Iran from advancing its nuclear and missile programs. Iran retaliated within hours, launching missiles toward Israeli territory and carrying out the drone strike that killed the six U.S. service members in Kuwait.
Tributes and Community Grief
Military leaders issued solemn statements honoring the fallen. Lt. Gen. Robert Harter said their sacrifice “will never be forgotten,” while Maj. Gen. Todd Erskine called them “the heart of America”. The death of Sgt. Declan Coady, just 20 years old and a Drake University student, drew particular attention in Iowa. Iowa gubernatorial candidate Rob Sand called on the public to pray for Coady and his family, describing his passing as part of “the escalating conflict in the Middle East”.
The deaths of these four reservists — logisticians and support troops, not frontline combatants — highlight how modern warfare blurs the line between combat and support roles. The 103rd Sustainment Command, a logistics unit, was struck not in a forward fighting position but at a port facility, underscoring Iran’s ability and willingness to hit U.S. infrastructure across the region. Both President Trump and Defense Secretary Hegseth acknowledged early on that additional casualties are probable as the operation continues. For the families of these soldiers, the human cost of Operation Epic Fury has already arrived — not as an abstraction, but as an irreversible loss.
