Two American Heroes Killed In Iran Attack Identified

Pentagon Identifies Two U.S. Soldiers Killed in Attack on Jordan Base

The Department of Defense on Monday released the names of two U.S. Army soldiers killed during an Iranian attack on Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan the previous week. The soldiers were identified as 1st Lt. Tyler James Feehan, 25, of Ewa Beach, Hawaii, and Pvt. Isabella Gonzales, 19, of Carrollton, Texas.

Feehan was killed in action on July 18, while Gonzales was killed in action on July 17. The Department of Defense stated that the incident remains under investigation. Feehan was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 55th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 32nd Army Air Missile Defense Command at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Gonzales was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 57th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 52nd Air Defense Artillery Brigade, 10th Army Air Missile Defense Command in Ansbach, Germany.

On Sunday, U.S. Central Command reported that it had recovered unidentified remains in Jordan during a search for a service member listed as missing after the July 17 attack. The identification process is ongoing. CENTCOM also stated that another U.S. service member was killed in northern Iraq on July 18 during the controlled detonation of unexploded ordnance from a downed Iranian one-way attack drone. A second service member was wounded and is receiving treatment for minor injuries. The identities of those two service members have not been released.

President Donald Trump told reporters Sunday night that the United States had conducted another wave of strikes against Iran following the deaths in Jordan. “Well, we feel very badly, but you know those great people, those great patriots, were out there fighting that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon,” Trump said. “Iran has been very, very badly damaged. They’ve lost everything, almost, militarily. They’ve got very little left. They’ve got some missiles. They’ve got some drones. They’ve got some manufacturing ability, not much.” He added that U.S. forces control the Strait of Hormuz and that additional strikes were carried out “in honor of the probably three. It’s probably three as opposed to two great patriots.”

Following the remarks, U.S. Central Command announced completion of its ninth consecutive night of strikes against Iran. According to CENTCOM, the targets included Iranian military command centers, air defense and coastal surveillance sites, maritime capabilities, missile and drone launch sites, and communications networks. The stated purpose was to reduce Iran’s capacity to attack commercial vessels and civilian mariners in the Strait of Hormuz. “The U.S. military is holding Iran accountable at the Commander in Chief’s direction,” CENTCOM said. “CENTCOM forces remain highly vigilant, focused, lethal, and ready.”

The article also referenced earlier incidents. On March 1, an Iranian drone attack on a U.S. base in Kuwait killed Maj. Jeffrey R. O’Brien, Capt. Cody Khork, Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert Marzan, Sgt. 1st Class Nicole Amor, Sgt. 1st Class Noah Tietjens, and Sgt. Declan Coady. Army Sgt. Benjamin N. Pennington, 26, of Glendale, Kentucky, died on March 8 from wounds sustained in an Iranian attack on Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia several days earlier. On March 12, six service members died when a KC-135 refueling aircraft crashed in Iraq: John A. Klinner, 33, of Auburn, Alabama; Ariana Savino, 31, of Covington, Washington; Ashley Pruitt, 34, of Bardstown, Kentucky; Seth Koval, 38, of Mooresville, Indiana; Curtis Angst, 30, of Wilmington, Ohio; and Tyler Simmons, 28, of Columbus, Ohio.

With the identification of Feehan and Gonzales, at least 15 U.S. service members have been publicly identified as having died in connection with operations involving Iran since March.