President Donald Trump joined the families of six US service members at Dover Air Force Base on Saturday for a dignified transfer ceremony, marking the return of their remains after a drone strike in Kuwait. The soldiers were killed earlier this week as part of the ongoing US and Israeli military campaign in Iran.
The dignified transfer, one of the most solemn duties of a commander-in-chief, saw Trump wearing a branded 'USA' golf cap. Cellphones were prohibited throughout the event. Vice-President JD Vance, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, and Attorney General Pam Bondi were also present.
Speaking earlier in Miami, Trump called the fallen soldiers heroes and described their deaths as 'a very sad situation', pledging to keep American war deaths 'to a minimum'. The six soldiers were identified as Sergeant First Class Nicole Amor, 39; Captain Cody Khork, 35; Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert Marzan, 54; Major Jeffrey O'Brien, 45; Sergeant First Class Noah Tietjens, 42; and Sergeant Declan Coady, 20, who was posthumously promoted from specialist.
All were members of the 103rd Sustainment Command based in Des Moines, Iowa, which provides logistical support. They died one day after the US and Israel launched their campaign against Iran. Families paid tribute, with Amor's husband noting she was due home within days, and Coady's father describing him as 'one of the kindest people you would ever meet'.
