Captain Cody A. Koch, 35, of Winter Haven, Florida; Sergeant 1st Class Noah L. Tietjens, 42, of Bellevue, Nebraska. And Sgt. Also killed were Private 1st Class Nicole M. Amor, 39, of White Bear Lake, Minnesota.
Names of four US soldiers killed in Iran war released
U.S. military officials have released the names of four U.S. soldiers who have died so far in the war with Iran.
- Declan Cody, an Iowa soldier and Army reservist, was killed in an Iranian attack in Kuwait.
- Cody’s death follows the deaths of two Iowa National Guard members in Syria six weeks ago.
- The 20-year-old is a sophomore at Drake University and a 2023 graduate of Valley High School.
An Iowa soldier killed in an Iranian attack is being remembered in his home state as a “young Iowan who heroically answered the call to national duty and made the ultimate sacrifice.”
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds also asked Iowans in a statement to join them in praying for Sergeant Johnson’s family. Declan Cody, 20, a sophomore at Drake University and an Army reservist from West Des Moines.
Cody was killed in an Iranian attack on Kuwait’s Shuaiba port on Sunday, March 1st. The attack also killed three other soldiers from the 103rd Sustainment Command, a Des Moines-based unit.
Shuaiba, in the Persian Gulf, is near Camp Buehring, the U.S. military base where Cody’s father, Andrew, and sister, Keira, told the Des Moines Register they were stationed.
The Pentagon on Tuesday, March 3, identified the other person killed in the airstrike as Capt. Cody A. Koch, 35, of Winter Haven, Florida. Sergeant 1st Class Noah L. Tietjens, 42, of Bellevue, Nebraska. And Sgt. 1st Class Nicole M. Amor, 39, of White Bear Lake, Minnesota; It was also confirmed that Cody, who was posthumously promoted from specialist to sergeant, was among them.
The attack came after the United States and Israel launched “Operation Epic Fury” against Iran on Saturday, killing senior Iranian officials including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei in attacks.
Cody’s family said they were notified of his death Sunday around 8 p.m.
“We are heartbroken to learn that Declan Cody, a popular and highly dedicated Drake University student studying information systems, cybersecurity, and computer science, has been identified as one of the six U.S. service members killed in Kuwait on Sunday. He bravely served in the U.S. Army Reserve as an information technology specialist starting in 2023 and had an incredibly bright future ahead of him,” Drake University said in a statement.
“At times like these, it is time for us all to come together and show the Cody family some much-needed love and compassion during this incredibly difficult time,” the statement said.
Cody’s awards and decorations include the Army Service Ribbon, the National Defense Service Ribbon and the Overseas Service Ribbon, according to a statement from the Army.
The last time the father spoke to his son was Saturday.
Andrew Cody said the last time he spoke to his son was Saturday. “He told us he was safe.” Declan Cody updated his family hourly, and finally spoke to his brother Aidan, 25, an army corporal stationed in Italy.
Cody told his brother he was OK, his father said, “but based on the limited time frame, we felt this incident occurred shortly after he got off the phone with his brother.”
Cody’s sister Keira, 22, who will graduate from Drake University in 2025, said, “He was my little brother…I’m so sad that I didn’t get a chance to tell him I love him one more time.”
While at Drake, Cody joined the Army Reserve. Although he could have been exempted from deployment because he was in ROTC, he was still sent to Kuwait and left in August 2025.
His father said he is considering active duty after deployment. “That’s how much he loved it,” he said.
Cody would have turned 21 on May 5th.
A GoFundMe post asking for support for the family said: “Declan was more than just a soldier, he was a son, a family member, a friend and a light in the lives of everyone who knew him. He served his country with honor, courage and dedication and epitomized the very best of what it means to wear the uniform.”
The funds raised will be used for funeral, memorial, and travel expenses.
“Let us come together to honor Declan’s life, his service and sacrifice, and surround his family with love and support,” the post reads.
As of Tuesday, six American soldiers had been killed in the conflict.
The deadly retaliatory attack came just over a month after Reynolds visited key installations in the Middle East where Iowa National Guard troops are deployed, including Camp Buehring. The trip covered Syria, Jordan, Iraq and Kuwait, where about 1,800 Iowa National Guard troops were deployed at the time.
“A person who is quite shy and doesn’t talk much.”
Cody is a 2023 graduate of Valley High School in West Des Moines.
“He was a really kind person. He was very shy and quiet, but he was wonderful,” his sister said.
“He was still sociable in many ways. He wasn’t afraid to do anything,” his father added. “He always went out of his way to help people. Declan was very good at his job in the Army.”
Cody rose through the ranks of the Boy Scouts, earning the highest rank, Eagle. His two brothers did the same.
Declan loved gaming, going to the gym, his cat Autumn, and enjoyed camping and hiking with his family.
“We were all very close growing up,” his sister said.
Mr. Cody’s death follows that late last year of Iowa National Guard Staff Sgt. William Nathaniel “Nate” Howard, 29, of Marshalltown and Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar, 25, of Des Moines. Suspected ISIS gunmen ambushed them near Palmyra, Syria, and also killed a civilian interpreter from Michigan. Three other Iowa National Guard members were injured.
Howard and Torres Tovar’s bodies were transported to Iowa on Christmas Eve and buried at the Iowa Veterans Cemetery on December 29th. They were the first members of the Iowa Army National Guard to die in combat since Sergeant Howard. Terril L. Pusker was killed in the Afghanistan War in July 2011.
Iowa had about 1,800 soldiers deployed across the region as part of Operation Inherent Resolve before the first wave of about 250 Guard soldiers returned in February. The Guard announced last weekend that another 575 people were on their way home.
Capitol Police Director Stephen Gruber Miller and staff writers Tyler Jett, Virginia Barreda, and Samantha Hernandez contributed to this article.
Kevin Baskins covers jobs and the economy for the Des Moines Register. Please contact kbaskins@registermedia.com.
Kyle Warner is the Register’s breaking news and public safety reporter. Please contact kwerner@registermedia.com..
