Fatal Attack Claims Iowa and Minnesota Soldiers in Kuwait

A Minnesotan, along with an Iowan are among the soldiers who were killed in an Iranian drone attack over the weekend. The two died on Sunday when a command center (Port Shuaiba) in Kuwait was struck, one day after the United States and Israel's air campaign against the country of Iran began.

According to the Pentagon, Army Reserve Sgt. 1st Class Nicole M. Amor, 39, of White Bear Lake, and U.S. Army Reserve Sgt. Declan Coady, 20, of West Des Moines, Iowa, was among the U.S. soldiers killed March 1, 2026.

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Sgt. 1st Class Nicole M. Amor had proudly served in the U.S. military for more than 20 years. She had been assigned to the 103rd Sustainment Command (along with Declan and the others killed) based out of Fort Des Moines Joint Reserve Complex in Des Moines, Iowa.

U.S. Army Reserve Sgt. Declan Coady, 20, of West Des Moines, Iowa, was a student at Drake University and an information technology specialist with the Army Reserve, enlisting in 2023. He was posthumously promoted from specialist to Sgt. following his death. Awards and decorations Coday received include the Army Service Ribbon, National Defense Service Ribbon, and the Overseas Service Ribbon.

According to a Facebook post from his West Des Moines group, Coady had been an Eagle Scout and worked with his troop, making Adirondack chairs for the homeless population in the area.

Nicole Amor was a wife and mother to two children and, according to reports, was just a few days away from returning to her family when the attack came. Amor was an active gardener who enjoyed the hobby with her son (a senior in high school) and rollerblading with her daughter (a fourth grader).

Amor, Coday, and at least two others who were killed on Sunday were part of a team that provides food, water, weapons, materials, and more to troops who are actively engaged in combat.

Also listed among the deceased are U.S. Army Reserve Sgt. 1st Class Noah Tietjens, 42, of Bellevue, Nebraska, and U.S. Army Reserve Captain Cody A. Khork, 35, of Winter Haven, Florida.

To learn more about Amor, Coday, and the others who died in Sunday's attack in Kuwait, click on the YouTube video below from USA Today. You can also read more about their lives in this article.

Story Sources: PBS News Website, MPR News Website, Fort Des Moines Complex Wiki Page