August M
The family of a young U.S. soldier killed in a drone attack during the escalating conflict with Iran has spoken publicly about their loss.
Sgt. Declan Coady, just 20 years old, was among several service members killed in the strike, prompting an outpouring of tributes from loved ones, reports UNILAD.
Deadly strike
Coady, from West Des Moines, Iowa, was one of six U.S. personnel killed in a drone strike in Kuwait on March 1.
According to reports cited by UNILAD and ABC News, the 20-year-old army reservist was inside a command building when the attack happened.
The strike came amid rising tensions in the region after the United States and Israel launched coordinated attacks on targets in Iran.
Those operations followed the collapse of negotiations over Iran’s nuclear programme.
Escalating conflict
Iran later responded with missile and drone attacks targeting locations across the Middle East where U.S. military bases are stationed.
Kuwait was among the countries affected during the retaliatory strikes.
The military operation has been described by the Trump administration as part of “Operation Epic Fury,” a joint campaign with Israel aimed at weakening the Iranian government.
Coady died on the way to hospital following the attack.
Sister’s tribute
Speaking about the loss, Coady’s sister Kiera described the moment the family realised something was wrong.
“On Sunday, March 1, after trying to check in, we heard nothing. Trying to be positive we all assumed he was just in a situation where he couldn’t message back, but we all knew something was wrong.”
She recalled how the family later received devastating news.
“At 8 p.m. as we all were getting ready to go to bed, the doorbell rang, and the rest of that night will forever be one of the worst nights of our lives. While it’s all blurry, we all knew what the doorbell meant.”
“He was just a baby”
Kiera also reflected on the final conversations she wished she could have had with her brother.
“The only thing I can think is that I wish I had called him one more time and told him I loved him.”
“I wish that I had been able to be there or trade places with him or anything just so he could have known he was safe and that we loved him and he didn’t need to be scared … He was just a baby.”
Coady was later promoted from specialist to sergeant posthumously.
Other victims
Several other service members were also killed in the same attack.
Those identified include Sgt. 1st Class Nicole M. Amor, 39, Capt. Cody A. Khork, 35, and Sgt. 1st Class Noah L. Tietjens, 42.
Two additional victims had not yet been publicly identified at the time of reporting.
Sources: UNILAD, ABC News
