President Donald Trump is scheduled to attend the dignified transfer of four U.S. service members killed in recent incidents in the Middle East. The somber ceremony will take place at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware.
The White House confirmed Trump's attendance, describing the transfer as one of the most solemn duties of a commander-in-chief. This marks the third such ceremony Trump has attended since the U.S. launched military actions related to Iran in February.
Two of the service members, U.S. Army soldiers Tyler James Feehan, 25, and Isabella Gonzales, 19, were killed in Jordan during Iranian missile and drone attacks. The remains of a third service member, Sergeant Angel S. Rampersad, 28, who was missing after the Jordan attacks and is now believed to be deceased, will also be transferred. The fourth service member, Sergeant Michael Emmanuel Swinton, 30, was killed in Iraq by the detonation of an Iranian drone.
Trump stated in the Oval Office on Tuesday that attending the transfer is "a great honor" for him. He told reporters on Sunday that the fallen troops "were out there fighting so that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon" and that the U.S. was striking Iran "in honor" of them. He also stated that "every time Iran kills an American soldier, they will pay for that killing many times over."
According to an administration official, nearly all incoming fire in Jordan was intercepted, but some projectiles did get through. Trump commented that "If we had other operators, you know, it would have not happened, unfortunately," adding that "when you let other people do your job with the United States—we let other people do the job—and sometimes it doesn’t work out so well." The president did not specify who he believed was responsible for the security of U.S. forces in Jordan.
Since the conflict began on February 28, a total of 18 U.S. service members have been killed.
Several of the fallen service members are slated for posthumous recognition. First Lieutenant Tyler James Feehan will be promoted to captain and awarded the Bronze Star, Purple Heart, and Combat Action Badge. Sergeant Michael Emmanuel Swinton will receive a Bronze Star, Purple Heart, and Combat Action Badge, and will be promoted to staff sergeant. Feehan and Swinton were assigned to units out of Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Gonzales and Rampersad were assigned to the 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command in Ansbach, Germany.
During a dignified transfer, the flag-draped transfer cases containing the remains of fallen service members are carried from the military aircraft to a vehicle that transports them to the mortuary facility on base for preparation for burial.