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.

This past year, the office has lightened body armor, added blood coolers for lifesaving measures and put together new cold weather gear for soldier testing, among other equipment. Program officers met with Army Times before the Association of the U.S. Army Annual Meeting & Exposition to showcase some of its equipment.

High-tech headsets

The Integrated Visual Augmentation System is now known as the Soldier Borne Mission Command. The heads-up display device is set to see a glasses version, much slimmed down from the former goggle configuration.

In September, Rivet announced it executed a $195 million agreement for the project, which the company describes as the Army’s “next-generation situational awareness and mission command platform for dismounted units, company-level and below.” That same month Anduril announced it had been awarded a $159 million contract by the service for “an initial prototyping period to develop a night vision and mixed reality system” as part of program.

Anduril and Rivet are set to deliver 70 systems each with the new configuration by March for further evaluation. The schedule calls for putting the new architecture and hardware together in one package by the fourth quarter of fiscal 2027, according to Lt. Col. Mark May.

Loitering munitions

PEO-Soldier is also pursuing Purpose Built Attritable Systems, a loitering munition system that includes four five-inch and two 10-inch quadcopters. The system, which comes in a kit, can be used as a one-way attack drone or it can be configured to drop munitions or other items.

“I wouldn’t say you fly this, you shoot it,” said Lt. Col. Will Taylor. “It’s not your typical drone. It’s a munition.”

On the larger side of munitions is the Switchblade 600, a loitering munition that carries a Javelin warhead capable of decapitating a tank turret. It weighs 75 pounds with a length of approximately five feet, according to an Army release.

After being fired, the tube-launched, unmanned aircraft system flies like a drone while an operator uses onboard cameras to identify and engage targets.

So far, the service has fielded 138 devices across 12 units, with 1,600 on order for future fielding, Taylor said.

Keeping soldiers safe

On the soldier protection side, Lt. Col. Ken Elgort said the new Lightweight Small Arms Protective Inserts, or LSAPI, offer the same protection against ballistics as the Enhanced Small Arms Protective Inserts, or ESAPI, but without the need for soft armor. The new body armor plate is also 1.5 pounds lighter.

The soft armor previously needed weighed about 2 pounds. Together that’s 3.5 pounds in weight savings for the same protection, Elgort noted.

In September, the Army awarded $65.5 million in delivery orders to Hardwire LLC and Leading Technology Composites, Inc., for 72,179 LSAPI plates, marking the official start of production for the new body armor plate, according to a service release.

Officials have also approved two new versions of helmet pads for a more customizable fit and improved comfort for soldiers. The rails on the helmet’s sides have been reconfigured for more length to attach tactical communications and hearing protection.

Conquering the cold

For soldiers fighting in the cold, tactical clothing, snowshoes, skis, cleats and other items are due for testing this winter, with the possibility of a unit being equipped with all new gear by fiscal 2028, said Lt. Col. Austin Banford.

Separately, soldiers in 3rd Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, and 3rd Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division, are evaluating a poncho that shields soldiers from electromagnetic detection.

Medical care in the field

Soldier medical devices, which represent the newest addition to PEO-Soldier, include the Sparrow ventilator, which automatically pumps respiration, saving a soldier or medic from the task. Officials have also delivered blood coolers and freezers to the tactical level, allowing medics to make ice packs for blood delivery in the field.

A blast overpressure system is in the works, too. The monitor will measure how much blast exposure a soldier has accumulated and record the data throughout their Army service. Lastly, a medical trauma sensor in development reads key data, such as a soldier’s blood oxygen saturation and pulse, to help medical personnel more quickly identify problems using objective data and algorithms.

Staff Sgt. Saul Fabian Gonzalez, 26, of Pullman, Michigan, died Tuesday in Erbil, Iraq, officials said in a brief release. Sgt. 1st Class Emmett Wilfred Goodridge Jr., 40, of Roseville, Minnesota, died Sunday in Camp Buehring, Kuwait, according to a separate release.

The DOD releases did not provide additional details on the soldiers’ deaths, which are under investigation.

Gonzalez was an Apache helicopter mechanic assigned to D Troop, 2nd Squadron, 101st Combat Aviation Brigade, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, according to the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault).

“The 101st CAB mourns the loss of Staff Sergeant Gonzalez,” Col. Tyler Partridge, 101st Combat Aviation Brigade commander, said in a statement Wednesday. “His journey with the 101st, from Private to Non-Commissioned Officer was one of commitment, grit, and honor. His service will forever be etched in our memories, and his legacy will ride on with the spirit of the Cavalry in the hearts of all who served alongside him.”

Gonzalez, who joined the Army in February 2018, was assigned to Fort Campbell in October 2018. His awards and decorations include the Army Commendation Medal with a “C” device, Army Achievement Medal with six oak leaf clusters, National Defense Service Medal and Army Aviation Badge, among others.

Goodridge was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, at Fort Drum, New York.

“It is with deep sorrow that we acknowledge the passing of Sgt. 1st Class Goodridge. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family, friends, and fellow Soldiers,” Maj. Geoffrey A. Carmichael of the 10th Mountain Division said Wednesday. “The 1st Brigade Combat Team and 10th Mountain Division are providing support to his family and unit, and we are fully cooperating with the ongoing investigation.”

Goodridge’s awards and decorations include the Combat Infantryman Badge, Expert Infantryman Badge, Parachutist Badge and Air Assault Badge. Goodridge, who had three previous combat deployments, was Ranger qualified, according to Carmichael.

Editor’s note: This report has been updated with additional information about Gonzalez’s and Goodridge’s service records and statements from 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) and 10th Mountain Division officials.

The incident involving two service members occurred at approximately 7 p.m. Wednesday in the base training area, the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) said in a release.

Emergency services responded. One soldier was confirmed dead, and the other soldier was taken to Blanchfield Army Community Hospital and is in stable condition, according to the release.

The soldiers’ names are being withheld until 24 hours after next-of-kin notification.

The release did not provide additional details on the incident, which is under investigation.

Nine soldiers were killed in March 2023 when two HH-60 Black Hawk helicopters collided midair and crashed near Fort Campbell.

A soldier from Charlie Company, 2nd Battalion, 13th Infantry Regiment, was “found deceased during training” on Thursday, the Army said in a brief release.

“Losing a teammate affects us all,” Fort Jackson Commander Maj. Gen. Daryl O. Hood said in a statement posted to the base’s Facebook page. “Our thoughts and prayers are with their family as well as the cadre and fellow trainees.”

The Army release did not include the soldier’s identity, citing the Army’s ongoing next-of-kin notification process.

Additional details about the soldier’s death were not provided.

The unit is conducting a 48-hour training stand down, according to the release.

“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.