A soldier from Winter Haven is among six U.S. military deaths in the four-day war with Iran.
The Pentagon on March 3 identified Capt. Cody A. Khork, 35, of Winter Haven as one of four American soldiers killed in an unmanned aircraft attack on Port Shuaiba, Kuwait, on March 1.
According to the Pentagon, the other four three soldiers are Sgt. 1st Class Noah L. Tietjens, 42, of Bellevue, Nebraska; Sgt. 1st Class Nicole M. Amor, 39, of White Bear Lake, Minnesota; and Sgt. Declan J. Coady, 20, of West Des Moines, Iowa. All four were with a Des Moines Army Reserve unit. U.S. military officials are investigating the attack.
The four are among the six total U.S. deaths in the war that began Feb. 28 when the Trump administration and Israel began a series of strikes that took out Iran’s supreme leader and dozens of other officials.
Iran’s counterattacks thus far have killed at least six U.S. servicemembers and led to several U.S. embassies closing in the region, including in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Beirut, Lebanon and in Kuwait, the USA TODAY reported.
Khork, whose Facebook page says he lived in Lakeland, enlisted as a 13P (multiple launch rocket system/fire direction specialist) in the National Guard in 2009, according to a report in the Marine Corps Times. He became a military police officer in the Army Reserve in 2014 and deployed to Saudi Arabia, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and Poland.
He has a decorated military career. He received the Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Joint Service Achievement Medal, Army Superior Unit Award, Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Korea Defense Service Medal, Armed Forces Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, Army Reserve Component Overseas Training Ribbon, Armed Forces Reserve Medal with 10 Year Device and “M” Device and the Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal, according to the Marine Corps Times.
This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Florida man among 4 US soldiers killed in Iran war
Reporting by Andy Kuppers, Lakeland Ledger / The Ledger
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
