A U.S. National Guard Soldier and a previously wounded service member are the latest casualties in a rapidly expanding regional conflict, U.S. Central Command announced Sunday. The deaths bring the total number of American fatalities during Operation Epic Fury to eight, as major combat operations continue against the Iranian regime and its affiliates.
On March 6, a National Guard Soldier died in Kuwait following what was described as a medical emergency. While officials characterized the event as a health-related incident, the specific cause of death is still under investigation.
In a separate announcement out of Tampa, Florida, CENTCOM confirmed that another service member passed away last night from wounds sustained during the opening phase of the campaign. That individual was critically injured on March 1 during a direct attack on U.S. forces in Saudi Arabia.
The names of these two newest casualties are being withheld for 24 hours to ensure families are notified first.
They follow six other soldiers, all from the Iowa-based 103rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary), who were killed on March 1 when an Iranian drone struck a tactical operations center at Port Shuaiba, Kuwait.
The Pentagon previously identified those fallen as:
- Maj. Jeffrey O’Brien, 45, of Waukee, Iowa, a Signal Corps officer who previously served in Kuwait in 2019.
- Capt. Cody Khork, 35, of Winter Haven, Florida, a former military police officer with prior deployments to Poland and Saudi Arabia.
- Sgt. 1st Class Nicole Amor, 39, of White Bear Lake, Minnesota, who had served in the military since 2005.
- Sgt. 1st Class Noah Tietjens, 42, of Bellevue, Nebraska, a veteran of two previous tours in Kuwait.
- Sgt. Declan Coady, 20, of West Des Moines, Iowa, an Eagle Scout and university student who was posthumously promoted from Specialist.
- Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert Marzan, 54, of Sacramento, California, a career serviceman nearing three decades of military life.
The remains of these six soldiers returned to U.S. soil at Dover Air Force Base on Saturday.
Military leaders stated that while the human cost of the operation is rising, the strategic objectives of Operation Epic Fury remain the primary focus of the ongoing deployment.
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