The youngest of six US soldiers killed in a drone strike in Kuwait had spoken to his brother on the phone shortly before his death.
Sgt. Declan J. Coady, 20, was among six Army Reserve service members who lost their lives when a drone hit a command center in Port Shuaiba, Kuwait on Sunday – just one day after the US and Israel launched its military campaign against the Islamic Republic, which struck back in retaliation.
His father Andrew Coady said his other son – also an Army soldier stationed in Italy – had spoken with the 20-year-old on the day he died in Kuwait.
‘Based of off timing, and what we know so far, and we don’t know specifics but we are making an assumption based off of timing, it was shortly after that phone call that this happened, and his operation center got hit,’ Andrew said.
The heartbroken father said his son was known to text his family updates every few hours saying ‘everything’s still good’ and ‘I’m good’.
‘Which goes to show you, he was thinking about us – “don’t worry about me”,’ Andrew said, recalling his son’s insistence on reassuring his loved ones.
Andrew recalled that once Coady stopped replying to messages, ‘most of us started to wonder’.
‘Your gut gets a feeling,’ he said.
Coady’s sister Keira recalled the excruciating moment when the family was unable to make contact.
‘We heard nothing. Trying to be positive, we all assumed he was just in a situation where he couldn’t message back, but we all knew something was wrong,’ she said.
‘At 8 pm, as we all were getting ready to go to bed, the doorbell rang, and the rest of that night will forever be one of the worst nights of our lives. While it’s all blurry, we all knew what the doorbell meant.’
Sgt. Declan Coady, the youngest of the six soldiers killed in a drone strike in Kuwait following the US’ attack on Iran, spoke to his brother shortly before his death
Andrew Coady (left) and his daughter Keira (right),share memories of Sgt. Declan Coady, 20, of West Des Moines, Iowa, outside their home
Coady’s unit had been deployed to Kuwait for nine months beginning in September of 2025, his father said.
Despite being only 20 years old, Coady appeared to have found his calling, Andrew said.
‘One thing he did say is that “I’ve had a lot of jobs, I’ve had jobs in the civilian world, I’ve been over here for six months and I work 12-plus hour days, I work six to seven days a week and I love it.”‘
Coady – an Eagle Scout like his two brothers – had just told his father last week that he had been recommended for a promotion from specialist to sergeant, a rank he received posthumously.
He was one of the youngest people in his class but seemed to impress his instructors, his father Andrew said Tuesday.
‘He was very good at what he did,’ he said.
His sister had been teasing him about being overseas during his 21st birthday and being unable to go out and have fun with family and friends.
‘I still don’t fully think it’s real. I just remember all of our conversations about what he was going to do when he came back,’ Keira said.
‘He was my little brother and he was probably really scared, even if he didn’t want people to know.’
Through tears, she struggled to cope with the loss of her brother.
‘I’ll just be sitting and thinking about it. It’s really hard, I didn’t have the same phone call this weekend that my dad and my brother did. I really wish I got tell him I loved him one more time, because he was so amazing.’
His sister Keara had been teasing him about being overseas during his 21st birthday and being unable to go out and have fun with family and friends
Coady had just told his father last week that he had been recommended for a promotion from specialist to sergeant, a rank he received posthumously
Coady trained as an information technology specialist with the Army Reserves and was studying cybersecurity at Drake University in Des Moines. He was taking online classes while in Kuwait and wanted to become an officer.
He planned to finish his time at Drake University in the ROTC program to commission as an officer.
‘I’m doing ROTC, I’m going to commission as an officer and he was going to be allowed to stay. He kind of planned it out but he was adamant, I was gonna go with my unit.’
The family is now looking navigate organizing Coady’s funeral, with a fundraiser launched to assist them.
President Donald Trump has vowed to ‘avenge’ the fallen soldiers, as he warned that others may die as the operation continues.
‘America will avenge their deaths and deliver the most punishing blow to the terrorists who have waged war against basically, civilization,’ he said from Mar-a-Lago on Sunday, hours after the blast.
Trump then called the fallen service members ‘true American patriots who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation, even as we continue the righteous mission for which they gave their lives.’
The other soldiers killed in the attack were Maj. Jeffrey O’Brien, 45, of Indianola, Iowa; 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 Spc. Declan J. Coady, 20, of West Des Moines, lowa.
Chief Warrant Officer Robert M Marzan was in the same unit as O’Brien and is suspected dead at the scene of the same attack.
A medical examiner will confirm identification of the 54-year-old from Sacramento, California.
His sister Keira (pictured holding a photo of her brother) shows a photo of her brother taken the morning before they dropped him off to leave
Coady trained as an information technology specialist with the Army Reserves and was studying cybersecurity at Drake University in Des Moines. He was taking online classes while in Kuwait and wanted to become an officer
Smoke rises from an area surrounding US Embassy following a strike, amid the US-Israel conflict with Iran
All were assigned to the 103rd Sustainment Command.
The six members of the Army Reserve, who worked in logistics and kept troops supplied with food and equipment, died Sunday when a drone hit a command center in Port Shuaiba, Kuwait, one day after the U.S. and Israel launched its military campaign against Iran.
Iran responded by launching missiles and drones against Israel and several Gulf Arab states that host U.S. armed forces.
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds released a statement Wednesday offering prayers and condolences for the families of the Iowa residents killed.
‘Our hearts are broken by the deaths of Major Jeffrey O’Brien and Sergeant Declan Coady, two brave Iowa soldiers who gave the ultimate sacrifice to secure freedom and peace,’ Reynolds said.
The soldiers’ friends and family have since started to share their own memories of their loved ones, with a friend of Captain Khork’s taking to Facebook to share how he had been there for him ‘for over 16 years of my life and been part of every major life event I’ve had.
‘He has shaped me into the person that I am today,’ the friend wrote, adding that Khork ‘knows more about me than anyone else and he was the first person to answer my call, even when I called in the middle of the night.
‘He’s helped me get through the hardest and lowest parts of my life and been there to celebrate the best.
This image provided by Planet Labs PBC shows the Tactical Operations Center at Port Shuaiba where the soldiers were stationed
The Pentagon has identified four soldiers killed in a drone strike in Kuwait as Capt. Cody A. Khork, 35, of Winter Haven, Florida (left) and Sgt. 1st Class Nicole M. Amor, 39, of White Bear Lake, Minnesota
Sgt. 1st Class Noah L. Tietjens, 42, of Bellevue, Nebraska, and Coady, 20, were also killed
‘I’ve watched him support others and myself through the years when he had nothing to his name and never complained about it. That’s just the type of person he was,’ the friend continued.
‘He went out doing what he loved, defending our freedom. RIP brother, Valhalla is waiting for you. We will see each other again.’
A friend of Amor’s also said she ‘was a special person, a hell of a troop and an amazing mom.
‘I’m at a loss for words,’ the friend wrote. ‘The world is a darker place without her in it.’
Amor had enlisted in the National Guard as a 92 (Automated Logistics Specialist) in 2005, transferred to the Army Reserve in 2006 and had previously been deployed to Kuwait and Iraq in 2019.
She has earned a number of awards and decorations for her service, including the Army Commendation Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Service Medal, NCO Professional Development Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon and Armed Forces Reserve Medal with ‘M’ Device.
Locals in Minnesota have now organized a meal train to help out her husband, Joey, and their two children, Adeline and Owen.
Meanwhile in Nebraska, Governor Jim Pillen ordered flags to fly at half-staff to honor Tietjens, saying he and the First Lady of the state were deeply saddened to learn of his death.
Army Reserve Major Jeffrey O’Brien (pictured left), 45, died during an unmanned aircraft system attack at Port Shuaiba, Kuwait in the second full day of battle. Chief Warrant Officer Robert M Marzan, 54, was in the same unit as O’Brien and is suspected dead at the scene of the same attack
Smoke rises from a reported Iranian strike in the area where the US Embassy is located in Kuwait City
The aftermath of an Iranian attack from Zayed port in Abu Dhabi
‘We are holding the Tietjens family close in our hearts during this unbelievably difficult time and will keep them in our prayers,’ the governor said in a statement.
‘Noah stepped up to serve and defend the American people from foreign enemies around the world – a sacrifice we must never forget. Please join us in praying for the Tietjens and for all members of the United States military who stand in harm’s way to protect our freedom.’
A source familiar with the tragedy told CNN that the makeshift command center was struck by a direct hit at the center of the building, which they described as a triple-wide trailer with office space inside, just after 9am local time.
The attack came very quickly, with no warning or sirens to alert troops to evacuate or get into a bunker, the source added.
Hours after the attack, the source said, fire was still smoldering in some parts of the building, with the walls blown outwards from the blast.
The command center had concrete barriers surrounding it, which is typical for military structures overseas, but nothing that could shield it from drones or missiles, the source said.
Three officials also told CBS News that prior to the attack, there had been discussion on the ground about whether the tactical operations center in question should not have been used as it concentrated too many people in a location that was not easily defended.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, however, said on Monday that the strike hit a ‘tactical operation center that was fortified.’
Locals in Minnesota have organized a meal train to help Amor’s husband and two children
In Nebraska, Governor Jim Pillen ordered flags to fly at half-staff to honor Tietjens (pictured)
He then claimed that there was just ‘one’ projectile that made it through the air defenses.
The strike on the facility now remains under investigation.
The White House went on the offensive with the press on day five of the attacks on Iran.
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt sought to set the record straight on why the US decided to strike Iran after critics expressed confusion over who exactly faced an ‘imminent threat’ from the Islamic Republic.
Since Trump launched strikes on Iran, the White House’s explanation for the offensive has been scrutinized heavily.
Leavitt clarified further the administration’s rationale for attacking Iran in conjunction with Israel during the White House press briefing on Wednesday.
‘This decision to launch this operation was based on a cumulative effect of various direct threats that Iran posed to the United States of America, and the President’s feeling based on fact that Iran does pose an imminent and direct threat to the United States of America.’
Her response stood in stark contrast to that of Secretary of State Marco Rubio earlier in the week, which prompted fury from both Republicans and Democrats who accused the US of being pulled into the conflict by Israel.
A friend took to social media to remember Khork as someone who was always there for him and others even ‘when he had nothing to his name and never complained about it’
A government site heavily destroyed very close to Revolution Square by Israel and U.S. during Operation Epic Fury on March 4, 2026 in Tehran, Iran
‘The president’s fact-based feelings about the threat facing the US were based on Iran’s growing missile programs, their continued pursuit of nuclear weapons and the threat those pose to US and allied forces in the region, Leavitt said.
The press secretary added that Trump was intent on joining Israel in its initial salvo, which she claimed was ‘obviously’ the right decision.
The public remains starkly divided on the attacks, something that was on full display when a Republican senator was seen on video helping Capitol Police restrain an ex-Marine who came to the Capitol to protest.
Tim Sheehy, a former Navy SEAL, sprung into action on Wednesday when Brian McGinnis interrupted a Senate Armed Services Sub-Committee hearing.
McGinnis, an ex-Marine now running a third party campaign for Senate in North Carolina, denounced the battle in Iran as a war being fought for Israel.
‘Israel is the reason for this war. America does not want to fight this war for Israel!’ he yelled.
‘America does not want to send its sons and daughters to war for Israel! Your inability to name that shows your ineptness as leaders! This is wrong and nobody wants to fight for Israel!’
Sheehy joined the Capitol Police to remove McGinnis. At one point, Sheehy held him up against the exit door as they struggled to remove him.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt sought to set the record straight on why the US decided to strike Iran after critics expressed confusion over who exactly faced an ‘imminent threat’ from the Islamic Republic
A Republican Senator and former Navy SEAL restrained a radical leftist ex-Marine who came to the Capitol to heckle Republicans over Donald Trump’s strikes in Iran
After McGinnis was finally removed, Sheehy said he was just there to back up the police.
‘Capitol Police were attempting to remove an unhinged protestor from the Armed Services hearing. He was fighting back. I decided to help out and deescalate the situation,’ he said on social media.
‘This gentleman came to the Capitol looking for a confrontation, and he got one. I hope he gets the help he needs without causing further violence.’
Capitol Police told The Daily Mail that McGinnis and three officers were injured during the confrontation.
McGinnis now faces three criminal counts for assault of a police officer and three counts of resisting arrest.
The five-day offensive so far has killed nearly 50 of Iran’s top officials, including its longtime leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, along with scores of religious leaders.
It has also sent the Middle East into chaos as Iran has targeted half a dozen countries in the region, including Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and Saudi Arabia in retaliation.
At least 1,045 people have been killed in Iran, the country’s Foundation of Martyrs and Veterans Affairs said Wednesday.
In Israel, 11 have died. More than 50 people have been killed in Lebanon, according to the health ministry.
