President Donald Trump will attend the dignified transfer at Dover Air Force Base for six U.S. service members killed in an Iranian drone strike.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that the president will be present to stand with the families during the repatriation.
The six service members were killed on March 1 when an Iranian one-way drone struck a tactical operations center at Port Shuaiba in Kuwait during Operation Epic Fury.
The facility served as a command center for U.S. forces in the region.
U.S. Central Command initially reported three deaths and five serious injuries before the toll rose to six as additional remains were recovered and one wounded service member later died.
The Pentagon identified the fallen as Captain Cody A. Khork, Sergeant First Class Noah L. Tietjens, Sergeant First Class Nicole M. Amor, Sergeant Declan J. Coady, Major Jeffrey R. O’Brien, and Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert M. Marzan.
All were Army Reserve personnel assigned to the 103rd Sustainment Command based in Des Moines, Iowa.
The White House says President Trump will attend the dignified transfer of the six Army Reserve soldiers who were killed Sunday when a drone hit a command center in Port Shuaiba, Kuwait, one day after the U.S. and Israel launched Operation Epic Fury. https://t.co/8zGdQl6DY5
— FOX26Houston (@FOX26Houston) March 6, 2026
Conflict Context
In his initial address to the nation on February 28, President Trump indicated that casualties would likely occur as a result of the conflict.
Operation Epic Fury began with nearly 900 initial strikes by U.S. and Israeli forces on Iranian targets, including missile sites, air defenses, and leadership locations.
Iran responded with waves of ballistic missiles and drones aimed at Israel and U.S. military installations across several Gulf states.
Those strikes have targeted communication infrastructure, radars, and temporary structures, with satellite imagery showing damage at sites such as the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet headquarters in Manama and Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait.
Iranian forces have also struck U.S. embassies and consulates, prompting closures in Riyadh and Kuwait.
More than 1,300 people in Iran — mostly military personnel and senior leaders tied to the IRGC — have been killed since the operation began.
Alongside the six fallen U.S. service members, 11 civilians have been killed in Iranian strikes targeting Israel while nine civilians have died in the gulf states.
