U.S. Soldiers Killed in Jordan Drone Strike Identified: ‘Patriots in the Highest Sense’

The Pentagon on Monday identified three members of the US military killed in a drone strike in Jordan on Sunday.

Sergeant William Jerome Rivers, 46, of Willingboro, New Jersey; Spc. Kennedy Ladon Sanders, 24, of Waycross, Georgia, and Spc. Breonna Alexsondria Moffett, 23, of Savannah, Georgia, died when a “one-way unmanned aerial system (OWUAS) struck their container units,” the Department of Defense said in a news release.

“The loss of Sgt. William Jerome Rivers, Spc. Kennedy Ladon Sanders and Spc. Breonna Alexsondria Moffett has left an indelible mark on the United States Reserve Forces,” Lt. Gen. Jody Daniels, Chief of the Reserve Forces and Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Army Reserve Command, said in a statement. “These citizen-soldiers died serving their country on January 28, 2024 in Jordan.”

Spc. Kennedy Ladon Sanders, 24, of Waycross, Georgia.

courtesy of the US Army

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“On behalf of the military reserves, I share the grief their friends, family and loved ones are feeling,” Daniels continued. “Their service and sacrifice will not be forgotten, and we are committed to supporting those left behind.” this tragedy.”

During a news conference Monday, Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh told reporters that “over 40” people were injured. Eight of the injured were medically evacuated from Jordan to a diplomatic support center in Baghdad. Three people will continue to receive care at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, while the other five are expected to return to duty.

Sergeant William Jerome Rivers, 46, of Willingboro, New Jersey.

courtesy of the US Army

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The incident remains under investigation, Singh said, later telling reporters that a militia backed by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps was behind the attack. “There are prints of Kata’ib Hezbollah, but there is no definitive assessment of that,” she said, adding that the US “will respond at a time and place of our choosing.”

The drone attack took place at the Tower 22 outpost, where about 350 members of the US Army and Air Force are stationed, reports CBS News. The base is located in northeastern Jordan, near the border with Syria, notes BBC News.

Before a meeting with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin expressed “outrage and sadness” over the three deaths, CNN reports.

Spc. Breonna Alexsondria Moffett, 23, of Savannah, Georgia.

courtesy of the US Army

“Let me begin with my anger and sadness at the death of three brave American soldiers in Jordan and the other soldiers who were wounded,” Austin said. “The president and I will not tolerate attacks on American forces and will take whatever action is necessary to defend the United States and our troops.”

“The three American service members we lost were patriots in the highest sense of the word,” President Joe Biden said in a statement Sunday. “Our nation will never forget their ultimate sacrifice.”

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