Photo: Alamy
The United States Army on Wednesday identified the fifth American service member killed in a drone attack tied to the Iran conflict as Maj. Jeffrey O’Brien of Waukee, Iowa.
Officials said O’Brien, 45, was among six U.S. troops killed in an unmanned aircraft system attack on March 1 at the Port of Shuaiba in Kuwait while supporting regional operations. The soldiers were assigned to the 103rd Sustainment Command based in Des Moines, Iowa.
“We honor our fallen Heroes, who served fearlessly and selflessly in defense of our nation. Their sacrifice, and the sacrifices of their families, will never be forgotten,” said Lt. Gen. Robert Harter, Chief of Army Reserve and Commanding General U.S. Army Reserve Command.
“On behalf of the Army Reserve, we express our heartfelt condolences to their families and loved ones. We remain steadfast in our commitment to honoring the legacy of our fallen and supporting their teammates and families during this difficult time,” said Harter.
The attack marks the first confirmed U.S. fatalities connected to the escalating conflict involving Iran.
O’Brien was commissioned in the Army Reserve as a Signal Corps officer in 2012 and previously deployed to Kuwait in 2019. His military decorations include the Army Achievement Medal, Meritorious Unit Commendation, Army Superior Unit Award, Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Army Service Ribbon, and the Armed Forces Reserve Medal with “M” Device.
The United States Department of Defense also said it believes the sixth casualty is Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert Marzan, 54, of Sacramento, California, though his identity has not yet been officially confirmed pending review by the Army medical examiner.
The announcements follow the Pentagon’s identification of four other service members killed in the same attack earlier this week.
Officials said all six soldiers were supporting U.S. operations in the region when the drone strike occurred.
Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell warned Iran after the attack, posting a message on X.
“If you kill Americans — we will hunt you down, and we will kill you,” Parnell wrote. “Iran is learning the hard way that President Donald Trump means what he says.”
