Pentagon Identifies Seventh US Service Member Killed In Operation Epic Fury

Last Updated:March 10, 2026, 00:44 IST

Army Staff Sergeant Benjamin N Pennington, 26, died after an Iranian attack at Saudi Arabia's Prince Sultan Air Base on March 1. He was posthumously promoted to staff sergeant.

The US Defence Department has identified the seventh US service member killed in combat during the war against Iran as Army Staff Sergeant Benjamin N Pennington, 26, of Glendale, Kentucky.

Pennington died of his wounds on Sunday during an Iranian attack at Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia on March 1. He was assigned to 1st Space Battalion, 1st Space Brigade, Fort Carson, Colorado, according to the Pentagon statement. He enlisted in the US Army as a 92Y, unit supply specialist, in 2017.

“Sgt. Pennington was a dedicated and experienced noncommissioned officer who led with strength, professionalism and a sense of duty," Colonel Michael F Dyer, 1st Space Brigade commander, said. “Our deepest sympathies are with his family, friends and fellow Soldiers. We remain dedicated to providing comfort and support at this time and will forever honour his legacy and ultimate sacrifice for our nation."

Pennington was posthumously promoted to staff sergeant, according to a US Army press release.

The attack was retaliation for the opening salvo of “Operation Epic Fury," a joint Israeli-US campaign of strikes on key figures and infrastructure in Iran. The initial strikes killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was succeeded by his son, Mojtaba Khamenei.

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Death Toll Rises

This came after the US Central Command confirmed that six American service members had been killed in the ongoing conflict with Iran. The fatalities resulted from a direct Iranian strike on a makeshift tactical operations center at the civilian Shuaiba port in Kuwait last week.

Initially reported as a fatal strike that killed four personnel, the death toll rose to six after the remains of two additional service members were recovered, Central Command said.

They were identified as Sgt. 1st Class Nicole Amor, 39, of White Bear Lake, Minnesota; Capt. Cody Khork, 35, of Winter Haven, Florida; Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert Marzan, 54, of Sacramento, California; Maj. Jeffrey O’Brien, 45, of Indianola, Iowa; Sgt. 1st Class Noah Tietjens, 42, of Bellevue, Nebraska; and Sgt. Declan Coady, 20, of West Des Moines, lowa, who was posthumously promoted from specialist.

US President Donald Trump was in attendance at Dover Air Force Base, where the bodies of the six service members arrived back in the country. He said witnessing the transfer was “the toughest thing I have to do" as president.

He labelled the fallen service members as heroes “coming home in a different manner than they thought they’d be coming home." He called it “a very sad situation" and he pledged to keep American war deaths “to a minimum."

US MQ-9 Drones Shot Down

Meanwhile, three US MQ-9 Reaper drones were downed in recent days after the beginning of Operation Epic Fury, CBS News reported, citing US officials. However, it remains unclear where the drones were shot down or by whom.

One of the drones crashed off the coast of Iran, while another MQ-9 is believed to have been shot down by friendly fire from Qatari forces in a separate incident over the past few days, the officials said. The drone crashes are under investigation.

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