See President Trump, top officials honor soldiers killed in Iran war
President Trump joins top officials at Dover for a dignified transfer of six US troops killed in an Iranian drone attack.
The bodies of the six U.S. service members who were killed during an Iranian drone strike at a command center are returning to the United States on March 7 through the Dover Air Force Base.
They are the first military members killed since President Donald Trump ordered an attack on Iran on Feb. 28 alongside Israel, leading to Iran launching missiles and drones in nearby countries.
A week into the military strikes from the United States and Israel, more than a thousand people have been killed, including Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
U.S. officials have identified the troops killed in the March 1 drone strike as Maj. Jeffrey R. O’Brien, 45, of Waukee, Iowa; Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert M. Marzan, 54, of Sacramento, California; Capt. Cody A. Khork, 35, of Winter Haven, Florida; Sgt. 1st Class Noah L. Tietjens, 42, of Bellevue, Nebraska; Sgt. 1st Class Nicole M. Amor, 39, of White Bear Lake, Minnesota; and Sgt. Declan J. Coady, 20, of West Des Moines, Iowa.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a press briefing on March 4 that the president intends to attend the dignified transfer of the six service members killed.
A dignified transfer is a military procedure for returning the remains of U.S. service members killed in the line of duty to the U.S.
The remains are then transferred to DAFB’s mortuary facility, the Charles C. Carson Center for Mortuary Affairs, for positive identification by the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System and preparation for their final resting place.
Dignified transfers of military members have been occurring at DAFB since its establishment in 1948. The Dover base is unique because it has hosted the only port mortuary in the U.S. since 2001.
U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota was in attendance for the dignified transfer of the six U.S. service members killed during an Iranian drone strike March 1.
Of the six soldiers killed was Sgt. 1st Class Nicole M. Amor, 39, of White Bear Lake, Minnesota.
The Minnesota resident joined the National Guard in 2005 as an automated logistics specialist overseeing troop supply chains and transferred to the Army Reserve in 2006. Amor’s service saw her deploy to Kuwait and Iraq in 2019, USA TODAY reported.
In her latest deployment to Kuwait, Amor was assigned to the 103rd Sustainment Command, which provides food, fuel, water and ammunition, transport equipment and supplies.
Following the transfer, Klobuchar said on X that it was an honor to pay Amor tribute alongside her family.
“She was the best of America and the best of Minnesota and we will always remember her as the incredible soldier, wife, and mother she was,” Klobuchar wrote.
— Sophia Voight 4:30 p.m.
At the start of the dignified transfer that took place around 3 p.m., President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Defense Sec. Pete Hegseth followed Army leaders to the bottom of the cargo plane ramp, facing the transfer cases in the cargo plane and joined in prayer. They then went to where the rest of the dignitaries were standing.
As the dignitaries saluted or put their hands on their heart, “carry teams” of seven Army soldiers brought each transfer case, draped in the American flag, one at a time to the two transfer vans.
The carry teams were dressed in camouflage uniforms with black berets and white gloves.
The carry teams brought the transfer cases from the cargo plane ramp past the dignitaries on one side and the families of the fallen soldiers on the other side and into the transfer vans.
After the cases were placed in the vans, the soldiers saluted as dignitaries saluted or put their hands on their heart. Then the vans drove away, taking the fallen soldiers to the mortuary.
— Ben Mace 4 p.m.
Iowa U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley was in attendance for the dignified transfer at DAFB for the six service members killed in the first days of the Iran war.
First lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance and second lady Usha Vance were also in attendance.
At the transfer, Donald Trump wore a red tie and a white baseball hat with “USA” in gold letters, while Melania Trump was dressed in all black.
— Ben Mace 3:50 p.m.
A number of U.S. senators and governors were in attendance for the dignified transfer in Dover.
Among those who attended were first lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance and second lady Usha Vance, Defense Sec. Pete Hegseth, Attorney General Pam Bondi, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, Department of National Intelligence director Tulsi Gabbard and U.S. Sen Lisa Blunt Rochester of Delaware, USA TODAY reported.
U.S. Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa and Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds also attended the transfer. Of the service members killed, two — Maj. Jeffrey R. O’Brien and Sgt. Declan J. Coady — were from Iowa.
U.S. Sens. Deb Fischer and Pete Ricketts of Nebraska along with Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen were in attendance to show support for Sgt. 1st Class Noah L. Tietjens of Bellevue, Nebraska.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis joined the transfer for the fallen Winter Haven, Florida service member Capt. Cody A. Khork.
— Sophia Voight 3:30 p.m.
The presidential motorcade is pulling away from Air Force One and heading toward the terminal at DAFB where President Trump is scheduled to meet the families of the soldiers’ who were killed during an Iranian drone strike on March 1.
— Ben Mace 1:20 p.m.
Air Force One landed at DAFB around 1 p.m. March 7 for the dignified transfer of the six service members killed in Kuwait.
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump will join the transfer scheduled for 2 p.m.
— Ben Mace 1 p.m.
The vice president’s plane has arrived at DAFB for the dignified transfer of the six service members killed in Kuwait.
Upon arrival, JD Vance could be seen stepping out of his plane and entering a black SUV.
— Ben Mace 1 p.m.
A line of black SUVs, some with American flags on each side of the hood, an ambulance and three SUVs marked “police” have entered the DAFB terminal.
Air Force One hasn’t landed in Dover yet. Earlier in the day, Trump attended the inaugural “Shield of the Americas” summit at his golf club in Doral, Florida.
The gathering brought together leaders of 11 Latin American countries to address cartels and drug trafficking in the Western Hemisphere.
Trump appointed Kristi Noem to serve as his “Special Envoy for The Shield of the Americas” after she was ousted from the Department of Homeland Security March 5.
— Ben Mace, Sophia Voight, 12:30 p.m.
An aircraft with “United States of America” across it has arrived at Dover AFB for the dignified transfer.
It is unclear whether the president and first lady have arrived in Dover yet.
— Ben Mace 11:40 a.m.
President Trump’s public schedule shows he and first lady Melania Trump will join the dignified transfer of the six U.S. service members who were killed during an Iranian drone strike.
The transfer is expected to take place at 1:30 p.m. March 7 at the Dover Air Force Base.
— Sophia Voight 11 a.m.
