Capt. Cody A. Khork, 35, of Winter Haven, Florida.; Sgt. 1st Class Noah L. Tietjens, 42, of Bellevue, Nebraska; Sgt. 1st Class Nicole M. Amor, 39, of White Bear Lake, Minnesota; and Sgt. Declan J. Coady, 20, of West Des Moines, Iowa, died on March 1, 2026, in Port Shuaiba, Kuwait, according to a DOD release.

The soldiers, who were assigned to the 103rd Sustainment Command in Des Moines, Iowa, were killed during an attack by an unmanned aircraft, the release added.

The incident is currently under investigation.

“We honor our fallen heroes, who served fearlessly and selflessly in defense of our nation,” Lt. Gen. Robert Harter, chief of Army Reserve and commanding general of U.S. Army Reserve Command, said in a release. “Their sacrifice, and the sacrifices of their families, will never be forgotten.”

U.S. Central Command officials announced Sunday that three service members were killed in action and five troops were “seriously wounded” during combat actions against Iran.

On Monday officials said a fourth service member seriously wounded during Iran’s initial attacks succumbed to their injuries. Later that day officials stated U.S. forces recovered the remains of two “previously unaccounted for” troops from a facility struck during Iran’s initial attacks, bringing the total number of service members killed in the operation to six as of Monday, according to a CENTCOM update.

Several other troops “sustained minor shrapnel injuries and concussions — and are in the process of being returned to duty,” CENTCOM officials said Sunday.

“To the families and teammates of these Cactus Nation soldiers: you have my deepest sympathy and my respect,” Maj. Gen. Todd Erskine, commanding general, 79th Theater Sustainment Command, said in the release. “Our nation is kept safe by folks like these — brave men and women who put it all on the line every single day. They represent the heart of America. We will remember their names, their service, and their sacrifice.”

Khork enlisted as a 13P (multiple launch rocket system/fire direction specialist) in the National Guard in 2009, officials stated. He commissioned as a military police officer in the Army Reserve in 2014, deploying to Saudi Arabia in 2018, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, in 2021, and Poland in 2024.

Khork’s awards include: the Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Joint Service Achievement Medal, Army Superior Unit Award, Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Korea Defense Service Medal, Armed Forces Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, Army Reserve Component Overseas Training Ribbon, Armed Forces Reserve Medal with 10 Year Device and “M” Device and the Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal.

Amor enlisted in the National Guard as a 92A (automated logistics specialist) in 2005. She transferred to the Army Reserve in 2006 and later deployed to Kuwait and Iraq in 2019.

Amor’s awards include: the Army Commendation Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Service Medal, NCO Professional Development Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon and the Armed Forces Reserve Medal with “M” Device.

Tietjens enlisted in the Army Reserve in 2006 as a 91B (wheeled vehicle mechanic). He previously deployed twice to Kuwait, once in 2009 and again in 2019.

Tietjens’ awards include: the Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal with Campaign Star, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon and the Armed Forces Reserve Medal with “M” Device.

Coady, who was posthumously promoted from specialist, enlisted in the Army Reserve in 2023 as a 25B (Army information technology specialist).

Coady’s awards include: the Army Service Ribbon, National Defense Service Ribbon and the Overseas Service Ribbon.

Additional details surrounding the circumstances of the other service members’ deaths have not yet been made available.

Iran has unleashed retaliatory strikes at U.S. military installations and civilian infrastructure across the Middle East amid ongoing bombardment by U.S. and Israeli forces.

The assault by U.S. and partner forces began Saturday at 1:15 a.m., CENTCOM officials stated, with the goal of knocking out “the Iranian regime’s security apparatus, prioritizing locations that posed an imminent threat.”

Among the primary targets of the operation were Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps command-and-control facilities, Iranian air defense capabilities, missile and drone launch sites and military airfields.

“I have just been informed that we have destroyed and sunk 9 Iranian Naval Ships, some of them relatively large and important,” Trump wrote in a post on X, adding that Iran’s naval headquarters has been “largely destroyed” in a different attack.

“We are going after the rest — They will soon be floating at the bottom of the sea, also!” Trump wrote.

U.S. Central Command officials said earlier Sunday that an Iranian Jamaran-class corvette was struck by U.S. forces at the beginning of Operation Epic Fury.

“The ship is currently sinking to the bottom of the Gulf of Oman at a Chah Bahar pier,” the statement reads. “As the president said, members of Iran’s armed forces, IRGC and police ‘must lay down your weapons.’ Abandon ship.”

Three U.S. service members have been killed in action during combat operations against Iran, CENTCOM officials announced Sunday. Five more have been listed as “seriously wounded.”

U.S. B-2 stealth bombers struck Iran’s hardened ballistic missiles with 2,000-lb. bombs Saturday night, CENTCOM announced in a separate post Sunday.

Meanwhile, the U.S. military called the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ claim that it struck the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln with ballistic missiles a “lie” in a post on X on Sunday.

“The Lincoln was not hit. The missiles launched didn’t even come close,” CENTCOM said in the post. “The Lincoln continues to launch aircraft in support of CENTCOM’s relentless campaign to defend the American people by eliminating threats from the Iranian regime.”

The Lincoln carrier strike group is one of two U.S. aircraft carrier strike groups deployed to the region, alongside the Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group, as part of the largest buildup of U.S. firepower in the Middle East in a generation.

The assault by U.S. and partner forces began Saturday at 1:15 a.m., CENTCOM officials stated, with the goal of knocking out “the Iranian regime’s security apparatus, prioritizing locations that posed an imminent threat.”

Among the primary targets of the operation were Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps command and control facilities, Iranian air defense capabilities, missile and drone launch sites and military airfields, according to the statement.

The compound of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was also targeted in the operation. A senior Israeli official told Reuters that Khamenei was killed in the strike. Trump later confirmed in a Truth Social post on Saturday that Khamenei was killed in the attack, calling the moment “the single greatest chance for the Iranian people to take back their Country.”

At least 201 people have been killed and more than 700 injured across Iran, according to the Iranian Red Crescent Society.

Since early September 2025, the U.S. military has conducted strikes against alleged drug-carrying vessels in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean in support of what the Pentagon has called continued counternarcotics efforts.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order on his first day in office designating cartels as foreign terrorist organizations. The administration, arguing the U.S. is in a “non-international armed conflict” with drug cartels, has described the strikes as necessary to prevent illicit drugs from entering the United States.

Military Times is maintaining a list of strikes conducted by the U.S. military since early September, based on reporting by Military Times, The Associated Press and strikes acknowledged by the Trump administration.

As of June 22, the Trump administration and U.S. military have disclosed 66 strikes, killing at least 196 people.

June 2026

June 21: U.S. Southern Command announced a lethal kinetic strike against an alleged drug-carrying vessel in the Caribbean, killing two and leaving six survivors. SOUTHCOM notified the U.S. Coast Guard, which conducted a search and rescue mission for the survivors.

June 18: Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a military strike against an alleged drug-carrying vessel in the eastern Pacific, killing three, U.S. Southern Command announced.

June 16: Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a military strike against an alleged drug-carrying vessel in the eastern Pacific, killing one and leaving two survivors, according to U.S. Southern Command. The U.S. Coast Guard was notified of the survivors after the strike and activated a search and rescue mission.

June 3: U.S. Southern Command announced that it launched a lethal strike against an alleged drug-carrying vessel in the eastern Pacific, killing two.

May 2026

May 30: Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a military strike against an alleged drug-carrying vessel in the eastern Pacific, killing three, according to U.S. Southern Command.

May 29: U.S. Southern Command announced that it launched a lethal kinetic strike against an alleged drug-carrying vessel in the eastern Pacific, killing three.

May 27: U.S. Southern Command announced that it conducted a military strike against an alleged drug-carrying vessel in the eastern Pacific, killing two.

May 26: Joint Task Force Southern Spear launched a military strike against an alleged drug-carrying vessel in the eastern Pacific, killing one and leaving two survivors, according to U.S. Southern Command. SOUTHCOM notified the U.S. Coast Guard, which initiated a search and rescue mission for the survivors.

May 8: U.S. Southern Command announced that it conducted a military strike against an alleged drug-carrying vessel in the eastern Pacific, killing two and leaving one survivor. SOUTHCOM notified the U.S. Coast Guard, which began a search and rescue mission for the survivor.

May 5: Joint Task Force Southern Spear launched a military strike against an alleged drug-carrying vessel in the eastern Pacific, killing three, according to a U.S. Southern Command X post.

May 4: Joint Task Force Southern Spear launched a military strike against an alleged drug-carrying vessel in the Caribbean, killing two, according to a U.S. Southern Command X post.

April 2026

April 26: U.S. Southern Command announced in an X post that it conducted a lethal strike against an alleged drug-carrying vessel in the eastern Pacific, killing three.

April 24: Joint Task Force Southern Spear launched a military strike against an alleged drug-carrying vessel in the eastern Pacific, killing two, according to a U.S. Southern Command X post.

April 19: Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a military strike against an alleged drug-carrying vessel in the Caribbean, killing three, according to a U.S. Southern Command X post.

April 15: U.S. Southern Command announced in an X post that it had launched a lethal strike against an alleged drug-carrying vessel in the eastern Pacific, killing three.

April 14: Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a military strike against an alleged drug-carrying vessel in the eastern Pacific, killing four, according to a U.S. Southern Command X post.

April 13: U.S. Southern Command announced in an X post that it had launched a lethal strike against an alleged drug-carrying vessel in the eastern Pacific, killing two.

April 11: Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted two military strikes on two alleged drug-carrying vessels in the eastern Pacific, according to a U.S. Southern Command X post. The first strike killed two and left one survivor, while the second strike killed three. SOUTHCOM informed the U.S. Coast Guard after the strikes that one survivor remained, and the USCG initiated a search and rescue attempt to retrieve the survivor. It’s unclear whether the survivor was found.

March 2026

March 25: Joint Task Force Southern Spear launched a military strike against an alleged drug-carrying vessel in the Caribbean, killing four, according to a U.S. Southern Command X post.

March 19: U.S. Southern Command announced on X that Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike against an alleged drug-carrying vessel in the eastern Pacific Ocean, leaving three survivors. SOUTHCOM contacted the U.S. Coast Guard following the strike to begin a search-and-rescue operation, the post said.

March 8: Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal strike against an alleged drug-carrying vessel in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing six, according to a U.S. Southern Command X post.

February 2026

Feb. 23: U.S. Southern Command announced on X that Joint Task Force Southern Spear launched a military strike against an alleged drug-carrying vessel in the Caribbean, killing three.

Feb. 20: Joint Task Force Southern Spear, at the direction of U.S. Southern Command commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan, conducted a military strike against an alleged drug-carrying vessel in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing three, according to a SOUTHCOM X post.

Feb. 16: Joint Task Force Southern Spear launched three military strikes against three alleged drug-carrying vessels, killing 11, according to a U.S. Southern Command X post. The first two strikes took place in the eastern Pacific Ocean, while the last took place in the Caribbean.

Feb. 13: U.S. Southern Command announced on X that Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a military strike against an alleged drug-carrying vessel in the Caribbean, killing three.

Feb. 9: Joint Task Force Southern Spear destroyed an alleged drug-carrying vessel in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing two and leaving one survivor, according to a U.S. Southern Command X post.

SOUTHCOM notified the U.S. Coast Guard after the strike, which initiated a search-and-rescue mission for the survivor.

Feb. 5: U.S. Southern Command conducted a lethal strike against an alleged drug-carrying vessel in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing two individuals, according to an X post. The strike was ordered by Gen. Francis Donovan, who assumed command of SOUTHCOM the same day.

January 2026

Jan. 23: Joint Task Force Southern Spear launched a military strike against an alleged drug-carrying vessel in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing two and leaving one survivor, according to a U.S. Southern Command X post.

December 2025

Dec. 31: U.S. Southern Command conducted two lethal strikes against two alleged drug-carrying vessels, killing five, according to an X post. The location of the two strikes was not disclosed.

Dec. 30: Joint Task Force Southern Spear launched three military strikes against three alleged drug-carrying vessels in “international waters,” killing three individuals in the first vessel, U.S. Southern Command said in an X post. After the first lethal strike, individuals aboard the remaining two vessels, identified as “narco-terrorists” by the SOUTHCOM post, jumped overboard. SOUTHCOM then contacted the U.S. Coast Guard to begin search and rescue attempts.

Dec. 29: U.S. Southern Command carried out a lethal strike against an alleged drug-carrying vessel in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing two individuals, according to a SOUTHCOM X post.

Dec. 22: Joint Task Force Southern Spear, at the direction of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, launched a military strike against an alleged drug-carrying vessel, killing one individual, according to a U.S. Southern Command post on X.

Dec. 18: U.S. Southern Command confirmed in an X post that Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted two strikes against two alleged drug-carrying vessels in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing five.

Dec. 17: Joint Task Force Southern Spear launched a military strike against an alleged drug-carrying vessel in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing four, according to an X post from U.S. Southern Command.

Dec. 15: The U.S. military, at the direction of Hegseth, conducted three separate strikes against three alleged drug-carrying vessels in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing eight individuals that U.S. Southern Command labeled narco-terrorists in an X post.

Dec. 4: Joint Task Force Southern Spear launched a strike against an alleged drug-carrying vessel in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing four individuals that U.S. Southern Command deemed narco-terrorists, according to a SOUTHCOM X post.

November 2025

Nov. 15: U.S. Southern Command confirmed in an X post that Joint Task Force Southern Spear destroyed an alleged drug-carrying vessel in the eastern Pacific, killing three.

On Nov. 13, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Operation Southern Spear in a social media post.

“This mission defends our Homeland, removes narco-terrorists from our Hemisphere, and secures our Homeland from the drugs that are killing our people,” the post read.

Nov. 10: The U.S. struck a vessel it accused of transporting drugs in the Caribbean Sea, killing four people, The Associated Press reported on Nov. 14. That’s according to a Pentagon official who AP stated was not authorized to discuss the matter and spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Nov. 9: The U.S. military destroyed two alleged drug-carrying vessels in the eastern Pacific Ocean through two separate strikes, killing six, according to an X post from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

Nov. 6: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced in an X post that the U.S. military carried out a lethal strike against an alleged drug-carrying vessel operated by a designated terrorist organization in the Caribbean, killing three.

“To all narco-terrorists who threaten our homeland: if you want to stay alive, stop trafficking drugs,” the post read. “If you keep trafficking deadly drugs—we will kill you.”

Nov. 4: The U.S. military launched a lethal strike against an alleged drug-carrying vessel that the Trump administration said was operated by a designated terrorist organization in the eastern Pacific, killing two, according to an X post from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

Nov. 1: Hegseth said in a social media post that the U.S. military conducted a strike on an alleged drug-carrying vessel in the Caribbean, killing three people.

October 2025

Oct. 29: The U.S. military struck an alleged drug-carrying vessel in the eastern Pacific, killing four. Hegseth announced the lethal strike in an X post, claiming intelligence showed the vessel to be carrying narcotics.

Oct. 27: The U.S. military launched three strikes against three alleged drug-carrying vessels in the eastern Pacific, killing 14 and leaving one survivor, Hegseth said in a post on X.

It was the first time multiple strikes occurred in one day and the second instance in which there was a survivor.

Oct. 24: The U.S. military conducted its tenth strike against an alleged drug-carrying vessel that was purportedly associated with the Tren de Aragua gang and operating in the Caribbean, killing six people, according to Hegseth. That same day, the Pentagon ordered the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier and its strike group to deploy to the U.S. Southern Command area of operations, said Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell.

Oct. 22: Hegseth announced a ninth strike against an alleged-drug carrying vessel and the second conducted in the eastern Pacific. The strike killed three people.

Oct. 21: The U.S. military conducted an eighth strike against an alleged drug-carrying vessel in the eastern Pacific, killing two, according to a social media post from Hegseth.

It was the first strike to take place outside of the Caribbean.

Oct. 17: Hegseth confirmed in an X post that the U.S. military launched a lethal strike against an alleged drug-carrying vessel in the U.S. Southern Command area of responsibility, killing three.

Those on board were affiliated with designated terrorist organization Ejército de Liberación Nacional, Hegseth claimed, calling the cartels the “Al Qaeda of the Western Hemisphere.”

Oct. 16: The U.S. launched a sixth strike on an alleged drug-carrying submarine in the Caribbean, killing two and leaving survivors for the first time.

The Trump administration didn’t initially acknowledge the strike, with details first emerging from news reports.

The two survivors were initially picked up by the U.S. military before being repatriated to their countries.

On Truth Social, Trump confirmed the strike and said that U.S. intelligence confirmed the submarine contained fentanyl and other narcotics.

The same day as the sixth strike, Hegseth announced in an X post that U.S. Navy Adm. Alvin Holsey would be stepping down as the head of US. Southern Command.

Holsey had served in the position for less than a year at the time, overseeing military strikes in the Caribbean.

While Hegseth said in his X post that the admiral was retiring, the reason was unclear.

The New York Times reported that Holsey had voiced concerns about the U.S. military’s mission in Central and South America and the recent strikes on alleged drug boats off the Venezuelan coast.

Oct. 14: Trump announced on Truth Social that the U.S. military struck a small boat off the coast of Venezuela, killing six people.

Republican and Democratic lawmakers in Congress voiced concerns over the legality of the strikes against the alleged drug-carrying vessels. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., asked for “the evidence linking them to being part of a gang” and for the names of those killed.

Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., labeled the strikes “illegal killings.”

Oct. 3: Hegseth announced a fourth strike on an alleged drug-carrying vessel in the Caribbean, killing four.

He posted the information to X, including a video of the boat that was destroyed during the strike.

A Pentagon memo sent to congressional national security committees earlier in the week declared that Trump said the U.S. was involved in a “non-international armed conflict” with cartels designated as foreign terrorist organizations.

“The President directed the Department of War to conduct operations against them pursuant to the law of armed conflict,” the memo said. “The United States has now reached a critical point where we must use force in self-defense and defense of others against the ongoing attacks by these designated terrorist organizations.”

September 2025

Sept. 19: Trump took to Truth Social to provide details about a third strike against alleged drug-carrying vessels in the U.S. Southern Command area of responsibility.

He announced the death of three individuals aboard the vessel, which he claimed was “affiliated with a Designated Terrorist Organization conducting narcotrafficking.”

Sept. 15: Trump announced on Truth Social that the U.S. military carried out a second lethal strike against an alleged drug boat coming from Venezuela, killing three on board.

Sept. 2: At an Oval Office event, Trump announced the first U.S. strike in the southern Caribbean against an alleged drug-carrying vessel that departed from Venezuela. Trump offered few details about the strike during his remarks at the event, but later said on Truth Social that 11 people belonging to the Tren de Aragua gang were killed. Trump included an unclassified video of the lethal strike on what appeared to be a small boat.

U.S. military operations in the southern Caribbean ramped up in late August 2025 when the U.S. deployed three Aegis guided-missile destroyers — USS Gravely, USS Jason Dunham and USS Sampson — to the waters off Venezuela.

Former Military Times reporter Carla Babb contributed to this report.

“Recognizing the success the United States has had against ISIS, including its 2019 territorial defeat under President Trump, today the Secretary of Defense directed the consolidation of U.S. forces in Syria under Combined Joint Task Force — Operation Inherent Resolve to select locations in Syria,” Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement. “This consolidation reflects the significant steps we have made toward degrading ISIS’ appeal and operational capability regionally and globally.”

The Pentagon did not specify in the release how many troops will be withdrawn, but The New York Times reported Thursday that the number is 600. The release also did not provide a specific timeline for the withdrawal, beyond stating it would “bring the U.S. footprint in Syria down to less than 1,000 forces in the coming months.”

“As this consolidation takes place, consistent with President Trump’s commitment to peace through strength, U.S. Central Command will remain poised to continue strikes against the remnants of ISIS in Syria,” Parnell said. “We will also work closely with capable and willing Coalition partners to maintain pressure on ISIS and respond to any other terrorist threats that arise.”

The U.S. troops have been critical not only in the operations against the Islamic State but as a buffer for the Kurdish forces against Turkey, which considers them to be aligned with terror groups.

President Donald Trump tried to withdraw all forces from Syria during his first term, but he met opposition from the Pentagon because it was seen as abandoning allies and led to the resignation of former Defense Secretary Jim Mattis.

The departure of 600 troops would return force levels to where they had been for years, after the U.S. and its allies waged a multiyear campaign to defeat IS. The U.S. had maintained about 900 troops in Syria to ensure that the IS militants did not regain a foothold, but also as a hedge to prevent Iranian-backed militants from trafficking weapons across southern Syria.

The number of U.S. troops was raised to more than 2,000 after the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks by Hamas in Israel, as Iranian-backed militants targeted U.S. troops and interests in the region in response to Israel’s bombardment of Gaza.

Three U.S. troops in Jordan were killed by a drone fired by an Iranian-backed militia in January 2024.

In December 2024, Syrian President Bashar Assad fled the country. In the months since, Syrians displaced by more than a decade of war have returned home, but the country remains unstable. Israel has targeted Syrian weapons installations, and there are some indications that the Islamic State group is trying to reconstitute itself, and Iranian-backed militias in Syria remain a threat to U.S. interests.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Lance Cpl. Albert A. Aguilera, 22, and Lance Cpl. Marcelino M. Gamino, 28, both combat engineers assigned to 1st Combat Engineer Battalion, 1st Marine Division, were killed in a crash during a convoy movement supporting Joint Task Force Southern Border operations near Santa Teresa, New Mexico, the 1st Marine Division said in a release Thursday.

A third, unnamed Marine injured in the crash remains in critical condition, according to the release.

The three Marines were transported to University Medical Hospital in El Paso, Texas, where Aguilar and Gamino were pronounced dead, officials said.

“The loss of Lance Cpl. Aguilera and Lance Cpl. Gamino is deeply felt by all of us,” said U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Col. Tyrone A. Barrion, commanding officer for 1st Combat Engineer Battalion and Task Force Sapper. “I extend my heartfelt condolences and prayers to the families of our fallen brothers. Our top priority right now is to ensure that their families, and the Marines affected by their passing, are fully supported during this difficult time.”

A native of Riverside, California, Aguilera enlisted in March 2023 and was promoted to lance corporal in May 2024. Gamino, from Fresno, California, enlisted in May 2022 and was promoted to lance corporal in August 2024. Gamino deployed to Darwin, Australia, with Marine Rotational Force-Darwin in 2024.

The accident, which occurred about 20 miles from Fort Bliss, is under investigation, officials said.

The Marines are among thousands of troops deployed to America’s southern border under President Donald Trump’s executive order to bolster border security. Roughly 7,100 active duty troops and 4,600 National Guard troops under state control are currently assigned to border operations, according to The Associated Press.

Sgt. Jose Duenez, Jr., 25, of Joliet, Illinois; Sgt. Edvin F. Franco, 25, of Glendale, California; and Pfc. Dante D. Taitano, 21, of Dededo, Guam, all from 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, were recovered Monday from a peat bog at a training site near Pabrade, Lithuania, the Army said.

“This loss is simply devastating,” said Maj. Gen. Christopher Norrie, 3rd Infantry Division commanding general, in a statement posted on the 3rd Infantry Division’s Facebook page. “These men were honored soldiers of the Marne Division. We are wrapping our arms around the families and loved ones of our soldiers during [this] incredibly difficult time.”

A fourth soldier was recovered earlier Tuesday. The Army has not released their name, pending confirmation of notification of next of kin.

At the time the soldiers were reported missing March 25, they had been conducting a maintenance mission with an M88A2 Hercules armored vehicle to recover another Army vehicle at a training area near Pabadre, Army officials previously said. The soldiers were deployed to Lithuania as part of Operation Atlantic Resolve, which has been sending rotations into Europe since Russia invaded the Crimea region of Ukraine in 2014.

The soldiers were permanently stationed at Fort Stewart, Georgia.

According to the 3rd Infantry Division, Duenez was an M1 Abrams tank system maintainer and had served more than seven years in the Army. He deployed to Poland in 2021 and Germany in 2022, and he was currently serving in the 5th Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment.

“Sgt. Jose Duenez will always hold a special place in our hearts. As both a leader and a soldier, he set an example every day — always the first to arrive and the last to leave, greeting every challenge with a smile and a readiness to support anyone who required assistance,” said Capt. Madyson K. Wellens, a commander in his squadron.

Franco was also an M1 Abrams tank system maintainer who had been in the Army for more than six years. He deployed to Korea in 2020 and Germany in 2022.

Wellens said Franco’s “infectious smile and genuine joy in being with his team were matched only by the tenacity and drive. He never asked more of his soldiers than he was willing to give himself — a true testament to his character.”

Taitano was also an M1 Abrams tank system maintainer. He had been in the Army for nearly two years, and this was his first deployment.

Cpt. Matthew Lund, another 5th Squadron commander, said, “Taitano will always be remembered as the spark of the team. He wore a smile on his face no matter the environment or task and constantly brought the team together with his charisma and laughter.”

The initial search for the soldiers included military helicopters, Lithuanian diving teams and hundreds of U.S. and Lithuanian soldiers and law enforcement officers looking through thick forests and swampy terrain. On March 26, search teams found the soldiers’ vehicle 15 feet underwater.

What followed was an arduous, multiday effort to get to the vehicle, which continued to sink and be encased in mud as time went on. Officials brought in engineers, tons of gravel, excavators and slurry pumps. The Polish Armed Forces volunteered a unit of 150 military engineers to help in the recovery. And over the weekend, a U.S. Navy dive crew from Commander, Task Force 68, headquartered in Rota, Spain, arrived on site.

There was a breakthrough in the recovery effort Sunday when the Navy dive crew — after multiple failed attempts — attached steel cables to two of the hoist points on the M88A2 Hercules, the Army said. To get to the hoist points, divers maneuvered through layers of mud, clay and sediment, using a ground-penetrating radar provided by Lithuanian experts to find their way.

Two hours after the cables were attached, the vehicle was unearthed from the bog. By that time, the recovery team grew to include hundreds of personnel from multiple services and countries, the Army said.

Recovery operations continued Monday after the crews recovered the bodies of three of the soldiers. Recovery dogs and their handlers flew in from Estonia on Monday to assist in the search for the fourth soldier. Crews also employed two specialized drone systems, including one equipped with ground-penetrating radar.

“We are incredibly relieved that we were able to bring this recovery to an end and bring closure to all the families, friends and teammates of our soldiers,” said Maj. Gen. Curtis Taylor, commanding general of 1st Armored Division. “We cannot thank our Allies and fellow service members enough, especially the Lithuanians, who spared no resource in support of this mission. Together, we delivered on our promise to never leave a fallen comrade.”

An investigation into the incident is ongoing, the Army said.

Military Times Senior Editor Nikki Wentling and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

The soldier was the last of four U.S. soldiers of the 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, to be recovered after they went missing in the early morning hours of March 25 while operating an M88A2 Hercules armored vehicle near Pabadre, Lithuania.

The bodies of the three other soldiers were recovered Monday after recovery crews pulled the vehicle from a peat bog near the training site.

“This past week has been devastating. Today our hearts bear the weight of an unbearable pain with the loss of our final Dogface Soldier,” said Maj. Gen. Christopher Norrie, 3rd Infantry Division commanding general, in a statement Tuesday. “Though we have received some closure, the world is darker without them.”

The Army has not released the soldiers’ names, pending confirmation of notification of next of kin.

At the time the soldiers were reported missing, they had been conducting a maintenance mission to recover another Army vehicle at a training area near Pabadre, U.S. Army Europe and Africa said in a release. The soldiers were deployed to Lithuania as part of Operation Atlantic Resolve, which has been sending rotations into Europe since Russia invaded the Crimea region of Ukraine in 2014.

The soldiers were permanently stationed at Fort Stewart, Georgia.

The initial search for the soldiers included military helicopters, Lithuanian diving teams and hundreds of U.S. and Lithuanian soldiers and law enforcement officers looking through thick forests and swampy terrain. On March 26, search teams found the soldiers’ vehicle 15 feet underwater.

What followed was an arduous, multiday effort to get to the vehicle, which continued to sink and be encased in mud as time went on. Officials brought in engineers, tons of gravel, excavators and slurry pumps. The Polish Armed Forces volunteered a unit of 150 military engineers to help in the recovery. And over the weekend, a U.S. Navy dive crew from Commander, Task Force 68, headquartered in Rota, Spain, arrived on site.

There was a breakthrough in the recovery effort Sunday when the Navy dive crew — after multiple failed attempts — attached steel cables to two of the hoist points on the M88A2 Hercules, the Army said. To get to the hoist points, divers maneuvered through layers of mud, clay and sediment, using a ground-penetrating radar provided by Lithuanian experts to find their way.

Two hours after the cables were attached, the vehicle was unearthed from the bog. By that time, the recovery team grew to include hundreds of personnel from multiple services and countries, the Army said.

Recovery operations continued Monday after the crews recovered the bodies of three of the soldiers. Recovery dogs and their handlers flew in from Estonia on Monday to assist in the search for the fourth soldier. Crews also employed two specialized drone systems, including one equipped with ground-penetrating radar.

“We are incredibly relieved that we were able to bring this recovery to an end and bring closure to all the families, friends and teammates of our soldiers,” said Maj. Gen. Curtis Taylor, commanding general of 1st Armored Division. “We cannot thank our Allies and fellow service members enough, especially the Lithuanians, who spared no resource in support of this mission. Together, we delivered on our promise to never leave a fallen comrade.”

An investigation into the incident is ongoing, the Army said.

Military Times Senior Editor Nikki Wentling contributed to this report.

The memo effectively bans transgender members from openly serving, directing the military to identify service members who have a “current diagnosis or history of, or exhibit symptoms consistent with,” gender dysphoria within 30 days. It directs officials to then begin separation proceedings within another 30 days.

The policy memo was included in the latest court filing in a lawsuit challenging President Donald Trump’s executive order against transgender military service, one of many hot-button issues the president made a priority to address on his first days in office.

Like the executive order, the policy filed Wednesday suggests that the lethality and integrity of the military “is inconsistent” with what transgender personnel go through as they transition to the gender they identify with, and issues an edict that gender is “immutable, unchanging during a person’s life.”

The policy provides two exceptions — if transgender personnel who seek to enlist can prove on a case-by-case basis that they directly support warfighting activities, or if an existing service member, who was diagnosed with gender dysphoria, can prove they support a specific warfighting need and never transitioned to the gender they identify with while also proving over 36 months they are stable in their biological sex “without clinically significant distress.”

If a waiver is issued in either case, the applicant would still face a situation in which only their biological sex was recognized for bathroom facilities, sleeping quarters and even in official recognition, such as being called “Sir” or “Ma’am.”

LGBTQ advocates condemned the memo.

“The assertion that gender dysphoria is incompatible with military service is both medically unsound and a blatant disregard for the proven capabilities and dedication of transgender individuals who have served and continue to serve with distinction,” the Modern Military Association of America, an LGBTQ military advocacy group, said in a statement Wednesday. “It sends a damaging message to the world about the values of the United States.”

“No policy will ever erase transgender Americans’ contribution to history, warfighting or military excellence,” Sparta Pride, an advocacy group for trans service members, said in a statement. “Transgender service members have a unique fighting spirit and will continue to defend the Constitution and American values no matter what lies ahead.”

Gender dysphoria occurs when a person’s biological sex does not match up with their gender identity.

While the number of transgender troops serving is small compared to the size of the total force, the discussion surrounding these personnel has taken up a large amount of time and attention both at the White House and within the Pentagon.

The military services due to medical privacy laws do not provide an exact count of transgender troops, but a 2018 independent study by the Palm Center, which researched LGBTQ issues, assessed there were an estimated 14,000 transgender troops among the more than 2 million troops serving.

It was a policy Trump tried to overturn in his first term in office but the issue ended up mired in lawsuits until former President Joe Biden was elected and he overturned the ban.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to include a statement from Sparta Pride.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said in a statement that Trump plans to nominate retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Dan Caine, who joined the venture capital firm Shield Capital in January, as the nation’s next chairman of the Joint Chiefs.

“General Caine embodies the warfighter ethos and is exactly the leader we need to meet the moment,” Hegseth said. “I look forward to working with him.”

No replacements for Franchetti — the first woman to serve as a service chief — or Slife were announced. Hegseth said he is requesting nominations to fill their roles.

Franchetti and Slife “have had distinguished careers,” Hegseth said. “We thank them for their service and dedication to our country.”

Franchetti made history in 2023 when she was confirmed as the Navy’s 33rd chief of naval operations, the first woman to hold the service’s top officer position and the first to serve on the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Commissioned in 1985, Franchetti became a surface warfare officer in 1989, entering the fleet at a time when women were barred from serving aboard combatant ships and aircraft. Congress lifted that ban in 1993, and Franchetti would go on to command two carrier strike groups, Carrier Strike Group 15 and Carrier Strike Group 9, U.S. Naval Forces Korea and Destroyer Squadron 21, among other at-sea and ashore assignments.

As commander of U.S. 6th Fleet, Franchetti oversaw the submarine John Warner’s 2018 Tomahawk missile strike on Syrian chemical weapons facilities – the first such strike by a Virginia-class submarine.

Before becoming CNO, Franchetti served as the Navy’s vice chief of naval operations. Her CNO confirmation in 2023 was stalled as part of a larger nominations blockade by Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., over the Defense Department’s abortion access policy.

In September, Franchetti unveiled the Navy’s latest navigation plan, or NAVPLAN, detailing how the service will prepare for a potential future conflict with China by 2027 — the year President Xi Jinping has directed his military to invade Taiwan.

Franchetti is the second female top military officer Trump has dismissed during his second term, following his removal of then-Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Linda Fagan in January.

Vice Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jim Kilby will perform the CNO’s duties until a successor is appointed, according to reports.

Hegseth, meanwhile, also requested nominations for the Army, Navy and Air Force judge advocates general, indicating they too have been fired.

Since Trump’s reelection, rumors have swirled in Washington about Brown’s precarious position and possible firing.

Brown, who was the second Black chairman and the first Black officer to serve as a service chief, became a target for some commentators and lawmakers for his openness to diversity initiatives.

In his statement, Hegseth said Brown “has served with distinction in a career spanning four decades of honorable service. I have come to know him as a thoughtful adviser and salute him for his distinguished service to our country.”

The tenor of that statement differed from Hegseth’s remarks on Brown in his book, The War on Warriors, and in interviews before Hegseth was nominated as defense secretary.

“You think CQ Brown will think intuitively about external threats and internal readiness?” Hegseth wrote. “No chance. He built his generalship dutifully pursuing the radical positions of left-wing politicians, who in turn rewarded him with promotions.”

Brown was a decorated F-16 pilot, who counted 130 hours in combat among his 3,000 flight hours, and served in multiple top leadership roles before taking charge of the Air Force.

As deputy chief for U.S. Central Command, Brown directed the air war against the Islamic State militant group. Brown also previously served as Pacific Air Forces commander, and as Air Force chief of staff, a role in which he focused on transforming the service to prepare for a possible war against China.

His position appeared more secure after he was seen talking with President-elect Trump at the Army-Navy game in December. On his first day as defense secretary, Hegseth entered the building side-by-side with Brown and said he looked forward to working with him.

But this week, a list of generals who could be fired began circulating on Capitol Hill, including Brown and Franchetti. Lawmakers of both parties sent Hegseth a letter earlier Friday asking for more transparency on officer removals to keep the process apolitical.

Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said he is “troubled by the nature of these dismissals.”

“This appears to be part of a broader, premeditated campaign by President Trump and Secretary Hegseth to purge talented officers for politically charged reasons,” Reed said, “which would undermine the professionalism of our military and send a chilling message through the ranks.

“America has the strongest, most capable military in the world,” he continued. “But firing uniformed leaders as a type of political loyalty test, or for reasons relating to diversity and gender that have nothing to do with performance, erodes the trust and professionalism that our service members require to achieve their missions. … A professional, apolitical military that is subordinate to the civilian government and supportive of the Constitution rather than a political party is essential to the survival of our democracy.”

The policy institute Center for American Progress blasted the firings, calling them “a deliberate effort to target senior professional military officers” and replace them with Trump loyalists.

“Few public servants have more honor, integrity and courage than the military officials that Trump fired today,” Rudy de Leon, a senior fellow at CAP and former deputy secretary of defense under President Bill Clinton, said in a statement.

“This action disrupts the chain of command, erodes military readiness, and damages morale throughout the ranks,” de Leon added. “It sets a dangerous precedent that could lead to further politicization of the military and pressure senior nonpartisan military officers to put politics ahead of their duty.”

Brown’s firing, which comes less than a year and a half into his tenure as chairman, marks a swift downfall in the fortunes of the nation’s top military officer, who was widely respected in the Pentagon and by lawmakers and officials of both parties.

Trump nominated Brown to become Air Force chief of staff in May 2020. Weeks later, George Floyd was murdered by Minneapolis police, which sparked a national wave of outrage and activism surrounding racial justice.

Brown made a video that summer in which he spoke about his experiences as a Black officer in the U.S. military. Making such a public statement, which was widely circulated, could have endangered his nomination as Air Force chief of staff, but the Senate soon confirmed him 98-0.

Former President Joe Biden in 2023 picked Brown to be chairman of the Joint Chiefs, and Brown was again confirmed unanimously by the Senate.

But during Brown’s nomination process, there were signs that his stance on diversity was becoming a political vulnerability.

In a July 2023 nomination hearing, senators of both parties largely praised Brown for his experience and leadership ability. Brown emphasized the importance of keeping the military apolitical in that hearing, and pledged to remain nonpartisan as chairman.

During that hearing, Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., opened up his questioning of Brown by asking, “Do we have too many white officers in the Air Force?”

Schmitt blasted Brown for signing on to a memo the previous year, along with other Air Force and Space Force officials, that set aspirational demographic goals for the applicant pool for officers. That memo also called for Air Education and Training Command and the U.S. Air Force Academy to create diversity and inclusion outreach plans to meet those applicant goals.

Schmitt falsely characterized the memo as saying the Air Force should have an officer corps that is 67.5% white, which he said would be a 9% reduction of white officers.

Brown noted that the memo was on application goals, and did not set a quota for how many members of each race should be in the Air Force. He added that efforts to improve diversity in the Air Force are important, so airmen of all backgrounds can have the chance to excel.

“All they want is a fair opportunity to perform,” Brown said. “And by providing that fair opportunity, they do not want to be advantaged or disadvantaged or discounted based on their background.”

Brown said he held that same view for himself as he became a fighter pilot, instructor and commandant of the Air Force Weapons School.

“I didn’t want to be the best African American F-16 pilot,” Brown said in that hearing. “I wanted to be the best F-16 pilot.”