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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, Trump said bearing witness to the transfer was\u00a0\u201cthe toughest thing I have to do\u201d\u00a0as president.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a very sad day,\u201d Trump told reporters on Air Force One as he returned to Florida later Saturday afternoon, saying that he was \u201cglad we paid our respects.\u201d He said the relatives of the deceased are \u201cgreat people, great parents, wives, family\u201d and said that the \u201cparents were so proud.\u201d<\/p>\n
Both Trump and Vice President JD Vance were present for the transfer, as were their spouses. A host of top administration officials were in attendance, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who wrote in a social media post Friday of \u201can unbreakable spirit to honor their memory and the resolve they embodied\u201d; Attorney General Pam Bondi, White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, special envoy Steve Witkoff and Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence.<\/p>\n
Also present for the solemn event were governors and senators from Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska and Florida.<\/p>\n
Those killed in action were Maj. Jeffrey O\u2019Brien, 45, of Indianola, Iowa; Capt. Cody Khork, 35, of Winter Haven, Florida; Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert Marzan, 54, of Sacramento, California; Sgt. 1st Class Nicole Amor, 39, of White Bear Lake, Minnesota; Sgt. 1st Class Noah Tietjens, 42, of Bellevue, Nebraska; and Sgt. Declan Coady, 20, of West Des Moines, lowa, who was posthumously promoted from specialist.<\/p>\n
As is protocol, Trump \u2014 wearing a blue suit, red tie and a white USA hat \u2014 did not speak during the transfer. The president saluted as each flag-draped transfer case was carried from the military aircraft to awaiting transfer vehicles, which would take them to a mortuary facility to prepare them for their final resting place. The families were largely silent as they observed the ritual, which lasted about a half hour.<\/p>\n
The six members of the Army Reserve, who were killed by a drone strike at a command center in Kuwait, were all from the 103rd Sustainment Command based in Des Moines, Iowa, which provides food, fuel, water and ammunition, transport equipment and supplies. They died just one day after the\u00a0U.S. and Israel launched its military campaign\u00a0against Iran.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese soldiers engaged in the most noble mission: protecting their fellow Americans and keeping our homeland secure,\u201d Republican Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa, a combat veteran, said earlier this week after the six were identified. \u201cOur nation owes them an incredible debt of gratitude that can never be repaid.\u201d<\/p>\n
During the ritual, transfer cases draped with the American flag and holding the remains of the fallen soldiers are carried from the military aircraft that transported them to an awaiting vehicle to take them to the mortuary facility at the base. There, the service members are prepared for their final resting place.<\/p>\n
Amor\u2019s husband, Joey Amor, said earlier this week that she had been scheduled to return home to him and their two children within days.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t go to Kuwait thinking something\u2019s going to happen, and for her to be one of the first \u2013 it hurts,\u201d Joey Amor said.<\/p>\n
O\u2019Brien had served in the Army Reserve for nearly 15 years, according to his LinkedIn account, and his aunt said in a post on Facebook that O\u2019Brien \u201cwas the sweetest blue-eyed, blonde farm kid you\u2019d ever know. He is so missed already.\u201d<\/p>\n
Marzan\u2019s sister described him in a Facebook post as a \u201cstrong leader\u201d and loving husband, father and brother.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy baby brother, you are loved and I will hold onto all our memories and cherish them always in my heart,\u201d Elizabeth Marzan wrote.<\/p>\n
Coady was among the youngest people in his class, trained to troubleshoot military computer systems, but he impressed his instructors, his father, Andrew Coady, told The Associated Press.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe trained hard, he worked hard, his physical fitness was important to him. He loved being a soldier,\u201d Coady said. \u201cHe was also one of the most kindest people you would ever meet, and he would do anything and everything for anyone.\u201d<\/p>\n
Khork\u2019s family described him as \u201cthe life of the party\u201d who was known for his \u201cinfectious spirit\u201d and \u201cgenerous heart\u201d and who had wanted to serve in the military since childhood.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat commitment helped shape the course of his life and reflected the deep sense of duty that was always at the core of who he was,\u201d according to a statement from his mother, Donna Burhans, his father, James Khork, and his stepmother, Stacey Khork.<\/p>\n
Tietjens, who came from a military family, previously served alongside his father in Kuwait. When he returned home in February 2010, he reunited with his overjoyed wife in a local church\u2019s gym.<\/p>\n
Tietjens\u2019 cousin Kaylyn Golike asked for prayers, especially for Tietjens\u2019 12-year-old son, wife and parents, as they navigate \u201cunimaginable loss.\u201d<\/p>\n
Trump most\u00a0recently traveled to Dover\u00a0in December to honor two Iowa National Guard members and a U.S. civilian interpreter who were killed in\u00a0an ambush attack in the Syrian desert. He attended dignified transfers several times during his first term, including for\u00a0a Navy SEAL killed during a raid\u00a0in Yemen, for two Army officers whose\u00a0helicopter crashed in Afghanistan\u00a0and for\u00a0two Army soldiers killed in Afghanistanwhen a person dressed in an Afghan army uniform opened fire.<\/p>\n
#Trump #grieves #families #return #soldiers #killed #war #Middle #East<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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