Six US soldiers killed in an Iranian drone strike were returned to American soil on Saturday in a dignified transfer at Dover Air Force Base, with President Trump in attendance. They're the first military members to be killed since Trump ordered an attack, in conjunction with Israel, on Iran on Feb. 28. During the ritual, carry teams of seven soldiers dressed in camouflage uniforms with black berets and white gloves brought each transfer case, draped in a US flag, to transfer vans, the Delaware Journal reports. The transfer cases are carried past dignitaries on one side and the fallen troops' families on the other. The vans then transported them to the base mortuary.
In keeping with protocol, Trump did not speak during the ritual, which lasted about a half-hour. The president, who was accompanied by first lady Melania Trump, saluted as each transfer case was carried past him. The troops' families were largely silent, per the AP. Vice President JD Vance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and other administration officials also were present. Returning to Florida later on Air Force One, Trump told reporters that it was "a sad day" and that he was "glad we paid our respects." He praised the soldiers' family members, saying, the "parents were so proud."
The Pentagon identified the six as Maj. Jeffrey R. O'Brien, 45, of Waukee, Iowa; Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert M. Marzan, 54, of Sacramento, California; Capt. Cody A. Khork, 35, of Winter Haven, Florida; Sgt. 1st Class Noah L. Tietjens, 42, of Bellevue, Nebraska; Sgt. 1st Class Nicole M. Amor, 39, of White Bear Lake, Minnesota; and Sgt. Declan J. Coady, 20, of West Des Moines, Iowa.
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