The Pentagon confirmed Wednesday the identity of the sixth soldier killed by Iran in a March 1 drone strike that hit Port Shuaiba, Kuwait.
The soldier was officially identified as Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert Marzan, 54, of Spotsylvania, Virginia. The Pentagon announced March 4 that Marzan was “believed to be” the sixth casualty, but a medical examiner had to confirm his identity.
Marzan’s remains, as well as those of the five other service members killed in the same attack, were returned to the U.S. on March 7.
The other service members killed were Capt. Cody Khork, 35, Sgt. 1st Class Noah Tietjens, 42, Sgt. 1st Class Nicole Amor, 39, Sgt. Declan Coady, 20, and Maj. Jeffrey O’Brien, 45.
All of the soldiers were assigned to the 103rd Sustainment Command out of Des Moines, Iowa.
The six soldiers were the first American casualties of Operation Epic Fury, the ongoing U.S. and Israeli military campaign against Iran.
A seventh U.S. soldier was killed in action during the conflict after succumbing to his wounds March 8. Sgt. Benjamin Pennington, 26, of Glendale, Kentucky, was injured during a March 1 enemy attack at Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia.
Pennington was assigned to 1st Space Battalion, 1st Space Brigade, at Fort Carson, Colorado.
Marzan enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1990, and then transferred to the Army Reserve in 1994. He deployed to Croatia and Bosnia in 1996 and Egypt and Kuwait from 2019 to 2020.
His awards include the Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Joint Service Achievement Medal, Army Achievement Medal, NATO Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal with Bronze Service Star, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Armed Forces Service Medal, NCO Professional Development Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, Army Reserve Component Overseas Training Ribbon and the Multinational Force and Observers Medal.
Nikki Wentling is a senior editor at Military Times. She’s reported on veterans and military communities for nearly a decade and has also covered technology, politics, health care and crime. Her work has earned multiple honors from the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, the Arkansas Associated Press Managing Editors and others.
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