Trump to attend dignified transfer for 6 soldiers killed in Iran

President Trump is set to participate in a dignified transfer at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware on Saturday, honoring six servicemembers who were killed in the first days of the Iran war. He will be joined by First Lady Melania Trump and the families of the deceased soldiers. 

The fallen servicemembers were identified by the Department of Defense 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, and Maj. Jeffrey O’Brien, 45. The Pentagon said Wednesday that Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert M. Marzan, 54, “is believed to be” the sixth soldier, and that identification will be done by a medical examiner. 

All six service members died during an unmanned aircraft system attack in Port Shuaiba, Kuwait, on Sunday, March 1, the Defense Department said.

All were members of the 103rd Sustainment Command, which is based in Des Moines, Iowa. The unit provides food, supplies and other logistics support to the military. 

Earlier Saturday, while addressing Latin American leaders in Miami, Mr. Trump called the soldiers’ deaths a “very sad situation” and said the servicemembers were “coming home in a different manner than they thought they’d be coming home.” 

“But they’re great heroes in our country, and we’re going to keep it that way,” Mr. Trump said. 

The dignified transfer, a ritual that returns the remains of U.S. service members killed in action, is considered one of the most somber duties of any commander in chief. During his first term, Mr. Trump called participating in the transfer “the toughest thing I have to do” as president. 

After the dignified transfer was completed, Mr. Trump is set to return to Mar-a-Lago.