Army IDs 2 victims killed in Jordan air base attack; Trump: Iran will pay 'many times over'
The War Department has identified two active-duty Army soldiers killed during an enemy attack at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan last week as 1st Lt. Tyler James Feehan, 25, of Ewa Beach, Hawaii, and Pvt. Isabella Gonzales, 19, of Carrollton, Texas.
They were the first U.S. service members killed since the restart of hostilities amid Iran's violations of President Donald Trump's peace agreement.
A third U.S. service member's remains are being identified, while another was killed Saturday "during a controlled detonation of unexploded ordnance" in northern Iraq, U.S. Central Command said.
"Every time Iran kills an American Soldier they will pay for that killing many times over!" Trump wrote Monday on Truth Social. "This directive has been passed on to Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Daniel Caine, and every Leader in the Military."
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The announcement brought the number of U.S. service members killed since the war began to 17, while more than 420 have been wounded.
Feehan and Gonzales were victims of the Iran attack Friday on Jordan, which remains under investigation. The release of their identities noted they were in Jordan supporting Operation Inherent Resolve, the international campaign against ISIS in Iraq and Syria.
The mission has ended operations in Iraq, while the U.S. has been consolidating and transitioning its presence in Syria.
Feehan was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 55th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 32nd Army Air and Missile Defense Command, at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
"U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command mourns the loss of 1st Lt. Tyler Feehan, whose service and sacrifice will never be forgotten," Lt. Gen. John L. Rafferty said in a statement. "Losing him to enemy fire will inspire our soldiers and strengthen their resolve to continue the mission."
Feehan will receive the Bronze Star, Purple Heart and Combat Action Badge, and be posthumously promoted to captain. He had already received the Army Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, and Combat Action Badge.
"1st Lt. Feehan’s unwavering dedication to our mission, our values, and the air defenders he led will leave an enduring legacy," Brig. Gen. John Dawber said. "We stand fully committed to supporting his family and loved ones through this incredibly difficult time, and we will never forget his ultimate sacrifice in defense of our nation."
Gonzales was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 57th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 52nd Air Defense Artillery Brigade, 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command, in Ansbach, Germany.
The U.S. and Iran have intensified attacks since an interim ceasefire deal signed a month ago fell apart last week, leading to the return to all-out war.
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"Godspeed, heroes," War Secretary Pete Hegseth wrote on X. "Their sacrifice only stiffens our resolve."
Trump has authorized nine consecutive days of pounding strikes on Iran's coastal military sites and Islamic Revolution Guard Corps forces defying the terms of the now-defunct memorandum of understanding (MOU), designed to bring a ceasefire and open up the Strait of Hormuz to freedom of navigation.
"We hit them very hard again tonight, and we did that in honor of the probably three – it's probably three as opposed to two great patriots," Trump told reporters at Joint Base Andrews on Sunday night. "We feel very badly, but you know, those great people, those great patriots were out there fighting that Iran could not have a nuclear weapon."