President Donald Trump on Saturday attended the dignified transfer of six U.S. service members killed during the opening days of the war with Iran, joining military leaders and families in a somber ceremony at Dover Air Force Base.
According to CBS News, Trump was accompanied by first lady Melania Trump, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff as the remains of the service members were returned to the United States.
The Defense Department identified those killed as Capt. Cody A. Khork, 35; Sgt. 1st Class Noah L. Tietjens, 42; Sgt. 1st Class Nicole M. Amor, 39; Sgt. Declan J. Coady, 20; Maj. Jeffrey R. O’Brien, 45; and Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert M. Marzan, 54.
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According to the Pentagon, the troops died March 1 in an unmanned aircraft system attack in Port Shuaiba. All were members of the 103rd Sustainment Command, based in Des Moines, Iowa, which provides food, supplies and other logistics support to the military.
Earlier Saturday, speaking to Latin American leaders in Miami, Trump called the deaths a “very sad situation.”
“They’re coming home in a different manner than they thought they’d be coming home,” the president said. “But they’re great heroes in our country, and we’re going to keep it that way.”
A dignified transfer — the ceremony in which the remains of service members killed overseas are returned to U.S. soil — is among the most solemn duties of a commander-in-chief. During his first term, Trump described attending such ceremonies as “the toughest thing I have to do” as president.
After the ceremony, Trump was scheduled to return to his residence at Mar-a-Lago.
