President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump attended a dignified transfer ceremony at Dover Air Force Base on Saturday to honor six U.S. soldiers killed in a drone attack during the early days of the war with Iran. The soldiers, part of the U.S. Army Reserve's 103rd Sustainment Command, died on March 1 when an Iranian drone struck a command center in Port Shuaiba. Trump described the event as one of his most solemn duties as commander in chief.
The ceremony at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware marked the return of the remains of the six service members to U.S. soil. Trump stood silently and saluted as each flag-draped transfer case was carried from a military aircraft and placed into vehicles for transport to the mortuary facility, where they will be identified and prepared for burial. The families of the fallen soldiers were present, and the event lasted about 30 minutes.
The soldiers were identified as Major Jeffery O’Brien, 45, of Indianola, Iowa; Captain Cody Khork, 35, of Lakeland, Florida; Sergeant First Class Nicole Amor, 39, of White Bear Lake, Minnesota; Sergeant First Class Noah Tietjens, 42, of Bellevue, Nebraska; Sergeant Declan Coady, 20, of Des Moines, Iowa; and Chief Warrant Officer Three Robert Marzan, 54, of Sacramento, California. They belonged to the 103rd Sustainment Command, which provides logistical support such as food, fuel, water, ammunition, and transportation for military operations.
Earlier that day, speaking at a summit of Latin American leaders in Miami, Trump called the soldiers heroes. “They’re coming home in a different manner than they thought they’d be coming home,” he said, describing the deaths as “a very sad situation” and pledging to keep American war casualties “to a minimum.”
Vice President JD Vance and his wife attended, along with top officials including Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Attorney General Pam Bondi, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard. Governors and members of Congress from Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, and Florida also paid tribute.
Secretary Hegseth stated the nation would honor the troops’ sacrifice and mission. Sen. Joni Ernst, an Army combat veteran, said, “These soldiers engaged in the most noble mission: protecting their fellow Americans and keeping our homeland secure.”
The deaths were among the first American casualties in the war, which began after U.S. and Israeli forces launched a military campaign against Iran. The service members were supporting Operation Epic Fury when the drone struck.
Trump has attended multiple dignified transfers during his first term, once calling the ritual and writing letters to families “the hardest thing I have to do” as president. Family members described the soldiers as devoted and proud servants. Sergeant Amor’s husband noted she was due home to their two children soon after the attack. Coady’s father said his son “loved being a soldier,” while relatives of O’Brien and Marzan remembered them as dedicated family men and leaders.
As the cases were carried one by one, Trump saluted each, honoring the six whose service ended on the battlefield.
