Remembering the 13 service members who died in Iran conflict

A peace deal announced between the United States and Iran on Sunday concludes a conflict that resulted in the deaths of 13 American service members. Six Army Reservists from the 103rd Sustainment Command in Des Moines, Iowa, died on March 1 after a drone struck a command center in Port Shuaiba, Kuwait. The soldiers identified were Capt. Cody A. Khork, Sgt. 1st Class Noah L. Tietjens, Sgt. 1st Class Nicole M. Amor, Sgt. Declan J. Coady, Maj. Jeffrey R. O'Brien, and Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert M. Marzan. On the same day, Sgt. Benjamin Pennington suffered injuries in an enemy attack at Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia, and died a week later. Less than two weeks later, on March 12, six airmen died when their KC-135 refueling plane crashed in western Iraq during a midair incident in friendly airspace. The airmen were Maj. John A. Klinner, Capt. Ariana G. Savino, Tech. Sgt. Ashley B. Pruitt, Capt. Seth R. Koval, Capt. Curtis J. Angst, and Tech. Sgt. Tyler H. Simmons. The 13 service members hailed from various states, including Minnesota, Ohio, and Iowa, and served in critical roles such as logistics, aviation, and information technology. Many had prior deployments, including combat missions, and were recognized for their service with multiple military awards. Their deaths occurred in two distinct incidents: a drone attack and a plane crash, both linked to the broader conflict. Sgt. 1st Class Nicole Amor, 39, of White Bear Lake, Minnesota, enlisted in the National Guard in 2005 and later transferred to the Army Reserve, deploying to Kuwait and Iraq in 2019. Capt. Curtis J. Angst, 30, of Wilmington, Ohio, was a KC-135 pilot with over 880 flight hours, including combat missions in 2015 and 2026. Sgt. Declan Coady, 20, of Des Moines, Iowa, was posthumously promoted and enlisted in 2023 as an Army Information Technology Specialist. The peace agreement aims to close the chapter on a conflict that took a heavy toll on these service members and their families. Their sacrifices are being remembered as the U.S. and Iran move toward reconciliation.