President Donald Trump attends the dignified transfer of six Americans killed in a drone attack on a Kuwait base during the first week of hostilities with Iran.
See President Trump’s senior administration memorializes soldiers killed in Iran war
President Trump joined top officials in Dover for the dignified transfer of six U.S. soldiers killed in an Iranian drone attack.
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump attended the dignified removal of six Americans killed in an Iranian drone strike during the first weekend of fighting in the never-ending war, but Trump administration officials said it likely would lead to additional military deaths.
Four of the soldiers are part of a reserve unit based in Iowa, and the Pentagon says they are stationed in Kuwait. They were killed in a drone attack on March 1.
The soldiers were Capt. Cody A. Koch, 35, of Winter Haven, Florida; Sergeant 1st Class Noah L. Tietjens, 42, of Bellevue, Nebraska. Sergeant First Class Nicole M. Amor, 39, of White Bear Lake, Minnesota. Declan J. Cody, 20, of West Des Moines, Iowa, Sgt. The U.S. military said Maj. Jeffrey O’Brien, 45, of Waukee, Iowa, and Warrant Officer Robert Marzan, 3, 54, of Sacramento, California, were also killed in the attack.
“It’s a very sad day, but I’m glad to be able to pay my respects.” President Trump boarded Air Force One after the ceremony and said, “It’s a tough situation,” adding, “Great people, great parents, wife (and) family. What a great ceremony.”
Those attending the dignified transfer included First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance, and Usha Vance, the second daughter of the Secretary of Defense. Pete Hegseth, Attorney General Pam Bondi, Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard.
Sen. Lisa Blunt Rochester of Delaware, Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa, Sen. Deb Fischer and Sen. Pete Ricketts of Nebraska were in attendance, as were Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida, Gov. Jim Pillen of Nebraska, and Gov. Kim Reynolds of Iowa.
Dignified transfers are limited to fallen service members and always take place in Dover. It involves moving the casket from the aircraft that transported it to the vehicle where military personnel are waiting.
Trump traveled from Miami for the deportation. He and Secretary of State Marco Rubio will host a summit of Latin American leaders on March 7 at the President’s Doral Golf Club. He is expected to return to Miami after a dignified move at Dover.
President Trump: “This is part of the war” talks about possibility of dignified transfer
Asked after the ceremony whether Saturday’s ceremony would make him reconsider going to war with Iran or sending troops on the ground, Trump said: “We won the war by a wide margin, and we destroyed their entire evil empire. I’m sure it will last a while.”
Asked in another question if he was worried about returning to Dover for a dignified transfer in the near future, Trump said: “I certainly don’t want to do that, but this is part of the war.”
Referring to the casualties of war, President Trump continued, “That’s the sad part of war, that’s the bad part.” ”
Asked if he expected the war to last about six weeks, Trump said, “Whatever it takes.”
The nation grieves for Americans killed in action
The president first acknowledged the death in a March 1 video posted to his social media accounts.
“As a nation, we mourn the true American patriots who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. As we continue the mission of justice for which they gave their lives, we pray for the full recovery of those injured and send our immense love and eternal gratitude to the families of the fallen,” President Trump said. “Unfortunately, something more could happen before it’s over. That’s what it is.”
President Trump has promised to “do everything” to protect U.S. troops. And he vowed to avenge the deaths of his soldiers.
“As the President has said, we mourn our American patriots and their families as we continue the mission of justice for which they gave their lives,” White House Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt said during a March 4 press conference announcing Trump’s plans to attend the dignified transfer.
President Trump’s attack on Iran has come under intense scrutiny as countries across the Middle East and other regions, including Ukraine, join the ongoing battle and the regional death toll continues to rise.
As of March 6, the death toll in Iran exceeded 1,200. U.S. officials say they are investigating a strike on a girls’ school in southern Iran that killed an estimated 175 people.
The last time a president attended a dignified transfer was in December, when two Iowa Army National Guard members and their interpreters who were killed in Syria while on duty fighting the Islamic State group returned to the United States.
Congressional Democrats tried unsuccessfully this week to block President Trump from continuing to attack Iran with largely partisan votes in the House and Senate.
President Trump said the war could last four to five weeks. Pentagon Secretary Pete Hegseth said the bombing could last longer or end more quickly, but noted that the United States would not stop its bombing campaign until the military achieved its objectives. It is not entirely clear what their purpose is. President Trump has said the United States wants to eliminate Iran’s navy, destroy its ballistic missile capabilities and prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
Hegseth and other U.S. officials said the war would not be “endless,” stressing that the United States has enough military capabilities to carry out indefinite attacks.
Contributors: USA TODAY’s Michael Loria, Chris Kenning, Chris Quintana, Kevin Baskins and Kyle Warner.
