American military: Eighteen young military killed in the Trump illegal Iran war named with unit identification

TIME magazine report by Chantelle Lee:

Eighteen American service members have died in the war in Iran in the months since the U.S. and Israel launched the initial military strikes on Feb. 28.

From left: Pvt. Isabella Gonzales, 19, of Carrollton, Texas; Sgt. Angel Rampersad, 28, of Ozone Park, New York; and 1st Lt. Tyler James Feehan, 25, of Ewa Beach, Hawaii, were killed in an Iranian attack in Jordan

About ❓447 more U.S. service members have been wounded in the conflict, according to the Pentagon’s Defense Casualty Analysis System, which was last updated on July 21. Nearly 100 service members have been injured since July 7—of those, 96% have since returned to duty, according to Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell. He added that the “vast majority” of those injuries were “minor concussions.”

Among the wounded was the U.S. airman at the center of a rescue effort behind enemy lines just over a month into the war. On April 3, an American fighter jet was shot down in Iran, causing the pilot and the weapons systems officer to eject from the aircraft. The former was rescued soon after the crash, but the latter went missing for more than 24 hours behind enemy lines. 

On April 5, Donald Trump announced that the service member had been rescued, and, while he had been wounded, “he will be just fine.” (But, these two service members were never identified.)

The war, which has quickly expanded in the Middle East, has killed thousands of people across the region.

The Pentagon released the identities of six American service members who were killed in the conflict in early March, and shared the name of the seventh on March 9. On March 13, U.S. Central Command said that six more service members had died. The following day, the Pentagon released the names of those service members, all of whom were crew members who died after the U.S. aircraft they were aboard, a KC-135, crashed in western Iraq.

On July 7, the U.S. Navy released the identity of a commanding officer who was on board a helicopter that went down in the Arabian Sea six days earlier and is presumed to be dead following days of searching. The other service members who were part of the helicopter crew have been rescued.

Later the same month, U.S. Central Command said on July 18 that two American service members were killed in action in Jordan amid an Iranian attack, and that another service member was missing. The next day, Central Command said that “after a thorough search, U.S. military personnel found unidentified remains” and that the process to verify the identity of the individual was ongoing.

Central Command also said on July 19, that, in a separate incident, an American service member in northern Iraq had been killed in action the day before “during a controlled detonation of unexploded ordnance from a downed Iranian one-way attack drone.” On July 21, the Department of Defense (DoD) identified that soldier. (Sgt. Michael Emmanuel Swinton, 30, of Fayetteville, North Carolina, was killed in action during a controlled detonation of a downed One-Way Unmanned Aerial System on July 19, 2026, at Erbil Air Base, Iraq. The incident is under investigation.)

Here’s what to know about the seventeen service members who have died in the conflict.

Michael Emmanuel Swinton:  Sgt. Michael Emmanuel Swinton was 30 years old and was from Fayetteville, North Carolina, the DoD said on July 21. He was “killed in action during a controlled detonation of a downed One-Way Unmanned Aerial System” two days earlier, at Erbil Air Base in Iraq, and the incident is “under investigation,” according to the department.

Swinton was assigned to D Battery, 2nd Battalion, 55th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 108th Air Defense Artillery Brigade in Fort Bragg, North Carolina, the DoD said.

Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina paid his respects to Swinton in a social media post on July 21.  “We extend our heartfelt condolences to … his wife and family in Spring Lake, his extended family in Fayetteville, and the Fort Bragg community,” Tillis said. “We are grateful for his service and will always remember his sacrifice.”

Tyler James Feehan:  1st Lt. Tyler James Feehan was 25 years old, the DoD said on July 20. He was from Ewa Beach, Hawaii, and was killed in action on July 18 after “an enemy attack” the day before at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan. The department said “the incident is under investigation.”  Feehan was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 55th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 32nd Army Air Missile Defense Command in Fort Bragg, North Carolina.  Sen. Mazie Hirono of Hawaii paid her respects to Feehan in a post on X on July 20.

“Today, my thoughts and aloha are with 1st Lt Feehan’s family, and the families of all the brave servicemembers killed and injured in this war,” she said. “As we honor their service and sacrifice, I remain committed to doing everything in my power to bring an end to this war.”

Isabella Gonzales:  Pvt. Isabella Gonzales was 19 years old and lived in Carrollton, Texas, according to the DoD. She was killed in action in the same attack as Feehan, but died on July 17.

Private 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.

In a social media post on July 20, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said he and his wife were praying for Gonzales’s family, as well as Feehan’s family. Abbott said that “our nation is forever indebted to” both service members.  “Texas mourns the loss of Army Pvt. Isabella Gonzales of Carrollton, killed in action serving our nation in Jordan. She was just 19 years old. Her courage and sacrifice represent the very best of Texas,” he said.

Commander Gabriel Edwards, 42 years old:  On July 1, a helicopter went down in the Arabian Sea after what the U.S. Navy said was an “emergency landing.” Three members of the four-person crew were rescued, and the fourth was declared missing. After more than 100 hours of search and rescue operations, the Navy ended the efforts on July 5. On July 7, the Navy identified Cmdr. Gabriel Edwards as the missing crew member. He is presumed to be dead.

Commander Edwards, originally from Oakland, Oregon, is survived by his wife and two children, in addition to his “large extended family,” the Navy said. He graduated from Norfolk State University in 2006 with a Bachelor’s degree in physics, and commissioned through the Naval ROTC.  “Gabe has dedicated his life to serving his country with honor, courage, and commitment. He led with humility, integrity, and compassion, always putting his people before himself,” his wife, Rebecca Edwards, said in a statement. “To those who served alongside him, he was a respected leader and mentor. To our family, he is the love of my life, an extraordinary father to his children, and the foundation of our home. His greatest joy was always his family.”

John Klinner:  Maj. John A. Klinner, 33, was a resident of Auburn, Alabama, according to the Pentagon. He graduated from Auburn University in 2016 with a mechanical engineering degree, according to the school. He participated in the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps at Auburn University, per the MacDill Air Force Base, and in 2017 he joined the Air Force.  He was the chief of squadron standardizations and evaluations at the 99th Air Refueling Squadron, which is stationed at the Sumpter Smith Joint National Guard Base. The squadron “functions administratively” under the 6th Air Refueling Wing at the MacDill Air Force Base, according to the MacDill Air Force Base. Klinner died on March 12, along with five other service members, after the U.S. aircraft they were on crashed in Iraq.  He is survived by his wife and three children, The Associated Press reported. His wife, Libby Klinner, said in an Instagram post that she was devastated for her children, according to the AP.
“They won’t get to see firsthand the way he would jump up to help in any way he could,” she said in the post. “They won’t see how goofy and funny he was. They won’t witness his selflessness, the way he thought about everyone else before himself. They won’t get to feel the deep love he had for them.”

Ariana Savino:  Capt. Ariana Savino, 31, was a resident of Covington, Washington, according to the Pentagon. She was also a member of the 99th Air Refueling Squadron, serving as the chief of current operations pilot, according to the MacDill Air Force Base. She was part of the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps at Central Washington University, and earned her active duty commission in 2017. Savino died on March 12, in the same crash that killed Klinner and four other service members.  U.S. Air Force Col. Ed Szczepanik, 6th Air Refueling Wing Commander, mourned the loss of Klinner, Savino, and their fellow squadron member, Tech. Sgt. Ashley Pruitt, in a press release.

Ashley Pruitt

Tech. Sgt. Ashley Pruitt, 34, resided in Bardstown, Kentucky, according to the Pentagon. She was also a member of the 99th Air Refueling Squadron, serving as an assistant flight chief of operations and KC-135 instructor boom operator, according to the MacDill Air Force Base. She joined the Air Force in 2017. Pruitt died in the March 12 crash in Iraq. Sgt. Pruitt was married, and had a daughter and a stepson, her father told the New York Times. He told the news outlet that Pruitt had dreamed of serving her country by entering the Air Force ever since she was young. “She knew that this would be her path,” her father told the Times. “She passed doing what she loved—that’s fighting for this country.”

Seth Koval:  Capt. Seth Koval, 38, lived in Stoutsville, Ohio, and was an aircraft commander assigned to the 121st Air Refueling Wing at Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base in Columbus, Ohio, according to the Ohio National Guard. In 2006, he enlisted into the Air Force, according to his Air Force biography. He graduated from Purdue University five years later with a degree in aviation operations. In 2017, he transferred to the Ohio Air National Guard.

“To lose a member of the Air Force family is excruciatingly painful, especially to those who know them as son, daughter, brother, sister, spouse, mom, or dad. To lose them at the same time is unimaginable,” Szczepanik said. “Our communities feel this loss deeply and Team MacDill will ensure their sacrifices and service to our nation are never forgotten. We will honor them each and every day as we continue to answer our nation’s call.” He died in the March 12, crash in Iraq.  His wife, Heather Koval, shared a statement on Facebook, in which she said that Koval “grew up dreaming about becoming a pilot and to stand beside him as he made his dreams come true was an honor.”  “He was truly the most amazing husband, father, son, brother, friend, and Airman. He loved what he did, and he was proud to put his uniform on and serve others,” she said. “He always put others before himself—until the very end. I will see him in the smile of our son and carry him with me in every moment.”

Curtis Angst:  Capt. Curtis Angst, 30, was a resident of Columbus, Ohio, and was also part of the 121st Air Refueling Wing, serving as a KC-135 pilot, according to the Ohio National Guard. He had 10 years of service; he enlisted in the Ohio Air National Guard in 2015, according to his Air Force biography. Before commissioning, he graduated from the University of Cincinnati with an aerospace engineering degree. He died with the five other service members in the March 12 crash. Mary Angst, Angst’s wife, told the New York Times in a statement that their family was “beyond grateful for the outpouring of love and support surrounding us during this unimaginable time.”  “Curtis was incredibly proud to serve our country, and we are committed to honoring his life and legacy,” she said.

Tyler Simmons:  Tech. Sgt. Tyler Simmons, 28, lived in Columbus, Ohio and was a boom operator assigned to the 121st Air Refueling Wing, according to the Ohio National Guard. He joined the Air Force in 2017, according to his Air Force biography.  Simmons died in the March 12 crash in Iraq.  His father told the New York Times that Simmons had been deployed to the region for another assignment, but he had volunteered to join the crew on the plane that ended up crashing.  “He didn’t have to be on that flight, that’s just the kind of person he was,” his father said.

Benjamin Pennington:  Sgt. Benjamin Pennington, 26, was a resident of Glendale, Kentucky, according to the Pentagon. He joined the Army in 2017, at first working as a unit supply specialist, according to U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command (USASMDC). Last summer, he was assigned to the Space Battalion as a part of the 1st Space Brigade in Fort Carson, Colorado. He received several accolades for his service, including the Army Achievement Medal. Pennington died on March 8, after sustaining injuries “during an enemy attack” seven days earlier at the Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia, the Pentagon said on March 9. The department said that the incident is under investigation. USASMDC said Pennington would posthumously be promoted to staff sergeant.

“Sgt. Pennington was a dedicated and experienced noncommissioned officer who led with strength, professionalism and sense of duty,” 1st Space Brigade commander Col. Michael F. Dyer said in a statement.

Jeffrey O’Brien:  Maj. Jeffrey O’Brien was 45 and a resident of Waukee, Iowa, according to the Army Reserve. He commissioned in the Army Reserve in 2012, serving first as a signal corps officer. In 2019, he was deployed to Kuwait. He was awarded the Army Achievement Medal, as well as the Meritorious Unit Commendation, among other accolades. O’Brien died on March 1 “during an unmanned aircraft system attack” in Port Shuaiba, Kuwait, that killed five other service members, the Pentagon said on March 4. The department said that the incident is under investigation.
In a statement shared by Des Moines television station KCCI, O’Brien’s parents and brothers remembered him as “a son, grandson, the oldest of 3 brothers, a nephew and compassionate young man raised on a farm near Monti, IA.”  “It was instilled in him to recognize that when people need help or a job needs done, you do it because it is the right thing to do,” his family continued. “Growing up, whether it was waking up early to help his Grandfather to tend livestock, baling straw on the family farm, or raising flags for his local parish on Memorial Day and July 4th, Jeff would always put others ahead of himself.”

Robert Marzan:  Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert Marzan, 54, lived in Sacramento, California, according to the Pentagon. In a Facebook post, Marzan’s niece said he was “just two months away from coming back home” from his last deployment after more than three decades in the Army at the time of his death.

He was at the site of the March 1, attack in Kuwait that killed O’Brien and four other service members, and the Pentagon said on March 4, that it believed he also died in the attack. The Pentagon said that a medical examiner will confirm this. Marzan is survived by his wife and daughter, the LA Times reported. “He would do anything for you, and family and friends meant the most to him,” Marzan’s childhood friend told KCRA. “He was an amazing husband, father, brother, nephew, uncle, and friend. You always knew he cared deeply about the people in his life.”  “While the entire world now knows your name uncle, you have always been my loving and fun uncle, grandma’s baby, a devoted husband, protective and loving father, baby brother, cousin and best friend to many,” Marzan’s niece wrote on Facebook. “You’re our Hero with a servant’s heart, you lead with love and bravery, you gave the ultimate sacrifice for our country, an honorable soldier, and I believe God welcomed you Home with open arms saying ‘Well done, my son, well done'.” 

Nicole Amor:  Sgt. 1st Class Nicole Amor was 39 and resided in White Bear Lake, Minnesota. She enlisted in the National Guard in 2005, working as an automated logistics specialist, according to the Army Reserve. In 2006, she transferred to the Army Reserve. She was deployed to Kuwait and Iraq in 2019. Amor had two children: a son in his senior year of high school and a daughter in fourth grade, the AP reported. She liked gardening, rollerblading, and bicycling.
She died on March 1 in the attack in Kuwait, according to the Pentagon.  Her husband told the AP that Amor had been set to return home soon before her death. “She was almost home,” her husband told the news outlet. “You don’t go to Kuwait thinking something’s going to happen, and for her to be one of the first—it hurts.”
Amor was awarded several accolades for her service, including the Army Commendation Medal and National Defense Service Medal, according to the Army Reserve.

Declan Coady:  Sgt. Declan Coady was 20 and lived in Des Moines, Iowa, according to the Army Reserve. Coady, who was a student at Drake University, joined the Army Reserve in 2023, working as an Army information technology specialist. He received several accolades for his service, including the Army Service Ribbon, National Defense Service Ribbon, and the Overseas Service Ribbon. Coady had been attending classes virtually while stationed in Kuwait, the AP reported. He died on March 1 in the attack in Kuwait, the Pentagon said. Coady was promoted from specialist to sergeant posthumously, according to the Army Reserve.  “I still don’t fully think it’s real,” his sister told the AP. “I just remember all of our conversations about what he was going to do when he came back.”

Cody Khork:  Capt. Cody Khork, 35, lived in Winter Haven, Florida, according to the Army Reserve. He enlisted in the National Guard in 2009, serving as a multiple launch rocket system/fire direction specialist. Five years later, he began working as a military police officer in the Army Reserve. He was later deployed to Saudi Arabia, Guantanamo Bay, and Poland.  He received a number of awards for his service, including the Meritorious Service Medal and Army Commendation Medal, according to the Army Reserve.  Khork was killed in the March 1 attack in Kuwait, according to the Pentagon. His family told news outlets in a statement that Khork “felt a calling to serve his country.”  “He was deeply patriotic and took great pride in serving something greater than himself,” his family said. “He lived with purpose, loved deeply, and served honorably. His legacy will endure in the lives he touched, the example he set, and the love of country and family that defined him.”

Noah Tietjens:  Sgt. 1st Class Noah Tietjens, 42, resided in Bellevue, Nebraska, according to the Pentagon. He came from a military family, the New York Times reported. He enlisted in the Army Reserve in 2006, serving as a wheeled vehicle mechanic, according to the Army Reserve. He had previously been deployed to Kuwait in 2009 and in 2019. He received several decorations for his service, including the Meritorious Service Medal and Army Commendation Medal. Tietjens died in the attack on March 1 in Kuwait, the Pentagon said. He is survived by his wife and a teenage son, the Times reported. The family had trained in martial arts together. Tietjens had wanted to start his own martial arts studio someday, according to the Times.

Sgt. Angel Rampersad, 28, of Ozone Park, (Queens) New York. Her death in Jordan was reported on July 22 nd. She is a third American service member believed to have been killed by an Iranian attack on an air base in Jordan has been identified by the United States military as Sgt. Angel S. Rampersad of New York.

Connor Greene contributed reporting.