Fallen US soldiers in Operation Epic Fury remembered as patriotic, dedicated

The four identified U.S. soldiers killed in a March 1 drone attack in Kuwait while supporting Operation Epic Fury were described as a martial arts instructor father who was a proven leader, a "spitfire" mother of two, a patriotic history buff who followed his calling in life, and a 20-year-old whose dedication foretold a bright future.

The fallen service members were identified as Sgt. 1st Class Noah Tietjens, 42, of Bellevue, Nebraska; Sgt. 1st Class Nicole Amor, 39, of White Bear Lake, Minnesota; Capt. Cody Khork, 35, of Lakeland, Florida; and Sgt. Declan Coady, 20, of Des Moines, Iowa. Two additional soldiers killed in the attack have not yet been publicly identified.

All were assigned to the 103rd Sustainment Command in Des Moines, Iowa, which provides logistical and operational support to U.S. forces overseas.

The soldiers were killed at the Port of Shuaiba during what officials described as an unmanned aircraft system attack. Officials said the incident remains under investigation.

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Tietjens entered the Army Reserve in 2006 as a wheeled vehicle mechanic and completed two deployments to Kuwait in 2009 and 2019.

Tietjens’ twin brother, Nicholas, told The New York Times that his brother was a "great leader" who was three months away from finishing his deployment and returning home.

Tietjens had taken up martial arts with his wife Shelly and a teenage son, Dylan, according to the newspaper. Tietjens became an instructor, dreaming of opening his own studio.

Julius Melegrito, the owner of Martial Arts International, told The Times that Tietjens possessed the qualities of a great teacher: calm, confidence and a soft-spoken demeanor.

Melegrito’s wife, Faith, remembered Tietjens having a "commanding presence and friendly aura," telling the paper she would "always feel more calm when he’s around, because I knew he would look at what’s needed and he would take care of it."

His decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal, Army Achievement Medal and the Iraq Campaign Medal with Campaign Star.

Amor joined the National Guard in 2005 as an automated logistics specialist and transferred to the Army Reserve the following year. She deployed to Kuwait and Iraq in 2019.

Amor’s brother, Derek Hoff, told The Times that after 20 years of service, his sister was finally thinking about retirement to spend more time with her kids, an 18-year-old son and 9-year-old daughter.

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"She just missed them," Hoff said. "It was a yearning for her kids."

He described his sister as "a spitfire" who "knew what she signed up for, and she did it because she had a job and a duty."

Amor earned multiple commendations throughout her service, including the Army Commendation Medal and the Armed Forces Reserve Medal with "M" Device.

But her biggest accomplishments, according to Hoff, were becoming a mother and later a surrogate.

Khork enlisted in the National Guard in 2009 as a multiple launch rocket system/fire direction specialist before commissioning as a military police officer in the Army Reserve in 2014. He deployed to Saudi Arabia in 2018; Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, in 2021; and Poland in 2024.

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His family said in a statement on Tuesday that he had always "felt a calling to serve his country," living a life "defined by devotion, character, and service."

"He was deeply patriotic and took great pride in serving something greater than himself," the family said.

"He lived with purpose, loved deeply, and served honorably," they continued. "His legacy will endure in the lives he touched, the example he set, and the love of country and family that defined him."

Khork had a passion for history, earning a degree in political science and becoming a leader in the ROTC program at Florida Southern College, according to his family.

His awards include the meritorious service medal, Army Commendation Medal and the Armed Forces Reserve Medal with 10 Year Device and "M" Device.

The youngest of the four identified soldiers, Coady enlisted in the Army Reserve in 2023 as an Army information technology specialist and was posthumously promoted from specialist to sergeant.

Coady was a sophomore at Drake University in Des Moines. The school said he was studying information systems, cybersecurity and computer science.

The university released a statement describing Coady as "a well-loved and highly dedicated" student who "had an incredibly bright future ahead of him."

His awards include the National Defense Service Medal and the Overseas Service Ribbon.

Following the loss of the six soldiers, Lt. Gen. Robert Harter, chief of Army Reserve and commanding general of U.S. Army Reserve Command, said each "served fearlessly and selflessly in defense of our nation."

"Their sacrifice, and the sacrifices of their families, will never be forgotten," Harter said.

Fox News Digital’s Louis Casiano and Alexandra Koch contributed to this report.