Hegseth says press covers troop deaths to hurt Trump
Six soldiers from Des Moines killed the same day Hegseth blamed press for reporting it
Six soldiers from Des Moines killed the same day Hegseth blamed press for reporting it
Six U.S. Army Reserve soldiers were killed on March 1, 2026, when an Iranian-launched drone struck their position at the Shuaiba port tactical operations center in Kuwait, one week into Operation Epic Fury. The six soldiers from the 103rd Sustainment Command in Des Moines, Iowa were identified as Maj. Jeffrey O'Brien, 45, of Indianola, Iowa; Capt. Cody Khork, 35, of Winter Haven, Florida; Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert Marzan, 54, of Sacramento, California; Sgt. 1st Class Nicole Amor, 39, of White Bear Lake, Minnesota; Sgt. 1st Class Noah Tietjens, 42, of Bellevue, Nebraska; and Sgt. Declan Coady, 20, of West Des Moines, Iowa.
It was the single deadliest day for U.S. forces since Operation Epic Fury began, bringing the total U.S. death toll to seven. Hegseth held a Pentagon briefing on March 8, a week after the strike. When reporters asked about the attack, he accused them of bias rather than addressing the security failures that allowed the drone to reach U.S. forces. The Hill Military Times
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