WEST DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Four of the six U.S. soldiers killed in the Iran war were identified Tuesday by the Pentagon as members of the Army Reserve from different states who worked in logistics and kept troops supplied with food and equipment.
They died Sunday when a drone hit a command center in Port Shuaiba, Kuwait, just a day after the U.S. and Israel launched its military campaign against Iran. Iran responded by launching missiles and drones against Israel and several Gulf Arab states that host U.S. armed forces.
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Those killed were Capt. Cody Khork, 35, of Winter Haven, Florida; Sgt. 1st Class Noah Tietjens, 42, of Bellevue, Nebraska; Sgt. 1st Class Nicole Amor, 39, of White Bear Lake, Minnesota; and Sgt. Declan Coady, 20, of West Des Moines, lowa, who was posthumously promoted from specialist. No other names were released.
“These men and women all bravely volunteered to defend our country, and their sacrifice will never be forgotten,” Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll said.
All were assigned to the 103rd Sustainment Command, which provides food, fuel, water and ammunition, transport equipment and supplies.
“Sadly, there will likely be more, before it ends. That’s the way it is,” President Donald Trump said of deaths.
Amor was just a few days away from returning home to her husband and two children when she was killed.
“You don’t go to Kuwait thinking something’s going to happen, and for her to be one of the first – it hurts,” Joey Amor, her husband, said Tuesday.
Amor was an avid gardener who enjoyed making 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.
“If you needed anything she would just take care of it for you,” Joey Amor said. “She’s helped a lot of people through a lot of dark times, and brought a lot of light to this world.”
Coady’s LinkedIn page said he was a student at Drake University and an information technology specialist with the Army Reserve.
He said he had learned how to “interact with countless different kinds of people from all different backgrounds” through his service.
Coady became an Eagle Scout in 2020, according to a Facebook post from his West Des Moines troop. An Iowa organization that helps homeless children said he made 12 Adirondack chairs for the group.
Nebraska U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts said he and his wife are mourning Tietjens’ death and praying for his family.
“May we always remember and honor the sacrifices made by Noah Tietjens and the Tietjens family,” Ricketts said.
Tietjens was married with a son, according to a Facebook page. A photo online shows the couple with their son wearing a martial arts uniform.
There are several family photos on Facebook pages belonging to Amor and her husband, Joey Amor, including some images with a teen son.
Last November, Joey wrote a post expressing his love for Nicole.
“Even while you are on the other side of the world you found a way to make my birthday special,” he said. “I love you!”
Associated Press writer Rebecca Boone contributed from Boise, Idaho.
