Sgt Declan J Coady , 20
Sgt Declan Coady was posthumously promoted from specialist, the army reserve said. Photograph: Courtesy Keira Coady
The US army reserve said that Coady, who was posthumously promoted from specialist, was a resident of Des Moines, Iowa, and had enlisted in the army reserve in 2023 as an army information technology specialist. During his career, he received awards including the Army Service Ribbon, National Defense Service Ribbon and Overseas Service Ribbon.
Coady was a 2023 graduate of Valley high school and was an Eagle Scout, according to a 2020 Facebook post from his Boy Scout troop in West Des Moines.
In a statement, Drake University in Des Moines said that Coady was a student at the university, studying information systems, cybersecurity and computer science. The school described him as a “a well-loved and highly dedicated” student who had “an incredibly bright future ahead of him”.
In a statement shared with the Guardian, Coady’s sister, Keira Coady, said that “as his older sister, I can’t quite comprehend it even now, but the only thing I can think is that I wish I had called him one more time and told him I loved him”.
Keira Coady holds a photo of her brother Sgt Declan Coady, 20, of West Des Moines, Iowa. Photograph: Charlie Neibergall/AP
“He was supposed to be 21 on May 5,” she said. “He was just a baby, and will forever be mine and Aidan’s baby brother, Rowan’s older brother, and our parents’ son.”
“Trying to find any words at all to describe Declan feels impossible at this moment,” she added. “However, to say what my mom would say is, ‘He was so kind and so amazing, and he was my baby.’”
Keira said that, growing up, Declan was part of a swim team, did fencing, and was an Eagle Scout. Outside of that, she said, he loved gaming and “while in Kuwait he was shipping home pieces so that when he came home he could build his own PC to not only play games but continue working in IT and cyber security”.
“Declan was a man of few words more often than not, but if you ever had the chance to talk to him about something he was passionate about you were lucky,” she continued. “He was so smart and could just talk your ear off for hours about what he loved, and while we may not have always known what terms or acronyms he was throwing out we would always listen because we all loved to just hear him speak.”
“I wish I could think of words beyond that he was smart and kind and amazing, but even if I were to throw in other words it still wouldn’t quite capture his spirit,” she concluded. “He was truly a rock in all of our lives and was just the most amazing brother and son my family could have asked for.”
Capt Cody A Khork , 35
In his career, Capt Cody Khork deployed to Saudi Arabia in 2018, Guantánamo Bay in 2021 and Poland in 2024. Photograph: Sgt Brent Newton/US army via AP
Khork was a resident of Lakeland, Florida, the US army reserve said. Khork had enlisted in the national guard as a multiple launch rocket system/fire direction specialist in 2009, before commissioning as a military police officer in the army reserve in 2014.
Over his career, the army reserve said, he deployed to Saudi Arabia in 2018, Guantánamo Bay in 2021 and Poland in 2024. He received numerous awards, including the Meritorious Service Medal and Army Commendation Medal.
In a statement online, the city of Winter Haven, Florida, said that Khork was a 2008 graduate of Lake Region high school and 2014 graduate of Florida Southern College.
“Friends remember Cody as someone who was easygoing, always smiling, and the kind of person who looked out for the people around him – the type of friend who made it feel like no time had passed when you ran into him around town,” the statement added.
Florida Southern College said in a statement that they mourned the loss of Khork, who they said was a political science major and member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity and “was known among his classmates, professors, and friends for his ‘leadership, character, and commitment to serving others’”.
In a statement to the New York Times on Tuesday, his family described him as “deeply patriotic” and as someone who “took great pride in serving something greater than himself”.
“He lived with purpose, loved deeply, and served honorably,” they added. “His legacy will endure in the lives he touched, the example he set, and the love of country and family that defined him.”
On social media, a friend of Khork’s called him “my best friend, best man, and brother” who he said “gave his life defending our country overseas”.
“He’s helped me get through the hardest and lowest parts of my life and been there to celebrate the best,” they added. “I’ve watched him support others and myself through the years when he had nothing to his name and never complained about it. That’s just the type of person he was.”
“He went out doing what he loved, defending our freedom,” the friend added.
Sgt first c lass Nicole M Amor , 39
Joey Amor, husband of Sgt first class Nicole Amor, said she had been moved off-base in fear the base would be attacked. Photograph: Joey Amor via AP
Amor, a resident of White Bear Lake, Minnesota, enlisted in the national guard as an automated logistics specialist in 2005 and transferred to the army reserve in 2006, the army reserve said. She deployed to Kuwait and Iraq in 2019.
Her awards and decorations include the Army Commendation Medal, National Defense Service Medal and the Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal.
Amy Klobuchar, the Minnesota senator, said in a statement that Amor was an “avid gardener who made salsa from the peppers and tomatoes in her garden with her son, a senior in high school”.
“She also enjoyed rollerblading and bicycling with her fourth-grade daughter,” the statement added. Klobuchar shared a photo of Amor with her husband, Joey.
Joey told the Associated Press that around a week before the drone strike, Amor had been moved off-base to a shipping container-style building.
“They were dispersing because they were in fear that the base they were on was going to get attacked and they felt it was safer in smaller groups in separate places,” he said.
He said that he last spoke to her about two hours before she was killed.
“She just never responded in the morning,” he said.
Sgt first c lass Noah L Tietjens , 42
Sgt first class Noah Tietjens had multiple deployments, including Kuwait in 2009 and 2019. Photograph: Sgt Brent Newton/US army via AP
Tietjens, a resident of Bellevue, Nebraska, enlisted in the army reserve in 2006 as a wheeled vehicle mechanic, the US army reserve said. He had multiple deployments, including to Kuwait in 2009 and 2019, the release said. Tietjens’s decorations included the Meritorious Service Medal and Army Commendation Medal.
His twin brother, Nicholas, described Noah to the New York Times as someone who had proven himself to be a “great leader” and said that he had been several months away from the end of his deployment in Kuwait.
“He just wanted to get there, and get it over with, and get back,” Nicholas said.
Tietjens is survived by his wife, Shelly, and their teenage son, Dylan. The Times reported that the family had trained together at Martial Arts International in Bellevue.
In a statement on Facebook, the Philippine Martial Arts Alliance wrote that they “are heartbroken to share the loss of our brother, Sergeant First Class Noah Lee Tietjens, who tragically lost his life while serving our country in Kuwait”.
“To us, he was Mr Noah, a devoted husband and father, a respected Black Belt in Philippine Combatives and Taekwondo, and an instructor who gave his time, discipline, and leadership to others,” the statement added. “Noah lived the martial arts code. He did not simply wear a Black Belt … he lived it. He led with integrity. He trained with purpose. He taught with humility.”
Maj Jeffrey R O’Brien, 45
Maj Jeffrey O’Brien earned several awards and decorations in his career. Photograph: US Army Reserve/Reuters
O’Brien was an army reserve soldier who resided in Waukee, Iowa, according to the the US army reserve. He commissioned in the army reserve as a signal corps officer in 2012 and deployed to Kuwait in 2019.
During his military career, he received several awards and decorations, including the Army Achievement Medal, Meritorious Unit Commendation and Army Superior Unit Award.
Kim Reynolds, the Iowa governor, said in a statement: “Our hearts are broken by the deaths of Major Jeffrey O’Brien and Sergeant Declan Coady, two brave Iowa soldiers who gave the ultimate sacrifice to secure freedom and peace. On behalf of a grateful state, Kevin and I offer our prayers and condolences for their families, and we ask all Iowans to stand united in support of our fallen soldiers and those who loved them.”
In a post on social media, Brooke Boden, an Iowa state representative, said: “I am heartbroken to share that my friend, Jeffrey R. O’Brien, died March 1, 2026, while serving in Kuwait in support of Operation Epic Fury.”
“Jeff and his wife have been dear friends for years, and I had the privilege of teaching their children dance. He was a devoted husband, a proud father, and a steady, faithful presence in the lives of those who knew him. His love for his family was unmistakable. He was a hero, and I am deeply grateful for his service and the sacrifice he made for our state and our nation,” she continued.
Chief warrant officer 3, Robert M Marzan, 54
Positive identification of chief warrant officer 3, Robert Marzan, will be completed by the medical examiner. Photograph: US Army
The Department of Defense said that Marzan, of Sacramento, California, was at the scene of the attack in Kuwait on Sunday and believed to be among those who died.
Positive identification of Marzan will be completed by the medical examiner, the department noted.
Gavin Newsom, the California governor, and Eleni Kounalakis, the lieutenant governor, described Marzan in a joint statement on Wednesday as “a courageous Californian whose service to our nation was marked by honor and distinction”.
“We offer our deepest condolences to his wife and family during this time of profound sorrow,” the statement reads. “The sacrifices made by military families are immeasurable, and California stands in solidarity with them, united in grief and gratitude. Chief Warrant Officer Three Marzan’s steadfast commitment exemplifies the highest ideals of our state and our country.”
On Facebook, his sister, Elizabeth Marzan, wrote: “My baby brother, you are loved, and I will hold onto all our memories and cherish them always in my heart.
“A strong leader who lived by example. Very loyal. My hero”.
