US service members killed in the Iran war include a Minnesota mother and an Iowa college student. Here’s what we know.

Since i war in Iran started on February 28, six American service members were killed, including a Minnesota mother of two, an Iowa college student and a Florida native remembered by her family as “the life of the party.”

Five members of the dead crew, all members of the US Army Reserve based in Des Moines, Iowa, were identified as positive as of Wednesday. The Pentagon also announced Wednesday that Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert M. Marzan, 54, of Sacramento, California, is “believed to be” the sixth soldier who “died at the scene” in Kuwait, and that a positive identification will be made by the medical examiner.

The US military does not publicly identify deceased service members until 24 hours after the person’s next of kin has been notified.

“These men and women have all bravely given their lives to protect our country, and their sacrifice will never be forgotten,” said Secretary of the Army Daniel Driscoll.

Here’s what you need to know about US service members who died in The war in Iran:

Captain Cody A. Khork

Captain Cody A. Khork, 35, was born and raised in Winter Haven, Florida, according to a statement from the city. He enlisted in the National Guard in 2009 as a multiple launch rocket system/fire specialist. He was assigned to the 103rd Sustainment Command, which provides food, water and other equipment and supplies.

Khork graduated from Florida Southern College in 2014 and was commissioned as a military police officer in the military reserve that same year, the city said.

Khork was sent to Saudi Arabia in 2018, Guantanamo Bay in 2021, and Poland in 2024. He has received awards including the Army’s Distinguished Volunteer Service Medal, Distinguished Service Medal, and Army Commendation Medal.

“Besides his distinguished military service, those who knew Cody remember him for the kind of person he was every day. Friends described him as someone who always had a smile, easygoing, and genuinely kind – someone who looked out for the people around him and left a lasting impression on those he met,” the city said in a statement. “Many remember that when you met Cody in town, it always felt like no time had passed.”

Khork’s family remembered him as “very patriotic and the life of the party,” according to CBS News Miami.

Sgt. 1st Class Nicole M. Amor

Sgt. 1st Class Nicole M. Amor, 39, was from Minnesota. Her husband is Joey Amor he told CBS News Minnesota that there were days left for him to finish his mission and return home to her and their two children.

Amor enlisted in the National Guard in 2005 as an automation specialist, then transferred to the Army Reserve in 2006, CBS Minnesota reported. He previously served in Kuwait and Iraq in 2019. Throughout his military career, he received awards including the Army Commendation Medal, the National Defense Medal, and the Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal, CBS Minnesota said. He was assigned to the 103rd Sustainment Command.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar paid tribute to Amor on Instagram, calling him “a passionate gardener who makes salsa out of peppers and tomatoes in his garden with his son, who is in high school.” Klobuchar said Amor “also enjoyed rollerblading and biking with his fourth-grade daughter.”

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said Amor “answered the call to serve and gave his life in service to our country and nation.” He added that “Minnesotaians wrap our arms around his loved ones.”

“He was still at home,” Joey Amor told CBS Minnesota. “You don’t go to Kuwait thinking that something is going to happen, and for him to be one of the first – it hurts.”

Sgt. 1st Class Noah Tietjens

Sgt. 1st Class Noah Tietjens, 42, was from Bellevue, Nebraska. Congressman Don Bacon said he is a native of the area. The US Army Reserve said he enlisted as a wheeled vehicle mechanic in 2006 and deployed twice in 2009 and 2019, both to Kuwait. He was awarded medals including the Meritorious Service Medal, the Military Commendation Medal and the Military Achievement Medal. He was assigned to the 103rd Sustainment Command.

Bellevue Mayor Rusty Hike said Tietjens is married, but had no other information about his family.

“Noah gave his life in defense of freedom and answered the call to serve with courage, respect and dedication,” Hike said in a statement.

Nebraska flags were flown by staff to honor him, Nebraska Public Media reported. Governor Jim Pillen said he and his wife Suzanne were “deeply saddened” to hear of Tietjens’ death and that they were “holding the Tietjens family in our hearts during this unbelievably difficult time.”

“Noah stood up to serve and protect the American people from foreign enemies around the world – a sacrifice we should never forget,” Pillen said on social media.

Sgt. Declan J. Coady

Sgt. Declan J. Coady, 20, was from West Des Moines, Iowa. He was an Eagle Scout who graduated from high school in 2023 and enlisted in the Army Reserve as a military information technology specialist that same year, reports CBS affiliate KCCI. He was a sophomore at Drake University, where he studied cybersecurity, and took internet classes while in Kuwait. He was assigned to the 103rd Sustainment Command. This was his first posting.

Coady was posthumously promoted to sergeant. He told his father a week before his death that he had been recommended for promotion, KCCI reported. Coady’s father, Andrew Coady, told The Associated Press that his son was one of the youngest in his class but impressed his teachers.

“He was very good at what he did,” Andrew Coady said.

“I don’t fully think it’s true anymore,” Coady’s sister Keira told KCCI. “I just remember all our conversations about what he was going to do when he came back.”

Andrew Coady told KCCI that his son had the option of staying at Drake and going through the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps, which would have allowed him to deploy later as an officer, “but he was adamant, like, ‘I’m going with my unit.’

Coady received honors including the Army Service Ribbon, the National Defense Service Ribbon, and the Overseas Service Ribbon, the US Army Reserve said.

“I wish he could have known again that we all loved him, because he was amazing and kind,” Keira Coady told KCCI.

“We mourn the loss of Sergeant Declan Coady, a young Iowan who bravely answered the call of his nation and gave himself up,” said Gov. Kim Reynolds in a statement. “Kevin and I send our condolences to his family and ask all Iowans to join us in prayer for healing and comfort.”

Maj. Jeffrey R. O’Brien

O’Brien, 45, of Waukee, Iowa, served in the Army Reserve as a Signal Corps officer in 2012 and was deployed to Kuwait in 2019.

In a statement, O’Brien’s parents and brothers described him as a “loving family man,” saying he was “a son, a grandson, the oldest of three brothers, a nephew and a compassionate young man who grew up on a farm near Monti, IA.”

“It was instilled in him to realize that if people need help or work needs to be done, he should do it because it is the right thing to do,” said his family. “Growing up, whether it was getting up early to help his Grandpa take care of the livestock, put up hay on the family farm, or raise his county flags on Memorial Day and the 4th of July, Jeff always put others before himself.”

O’Brien, they say, “embraced small-town Iowa, listened to 80’s and 90’s rock music, hung out with his classmates, and was a devoted Cubs fan every year; even the bad years!”

His interest in computer science led him to earn his bachelor’s degree at Iowa State University, his family wrote. “It was during this time that he fell in love with Central Iowa and his wife Roxane,” they said.

O’Brien’s awards and decorations include the Military Achievement Medal, the Army Superior Unit Award, the National Defense Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal and the Army Service Ribbon, the Army Reserve said.

Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert M. Marzan

Marzan, 54, was from Sacramento, California. His brother, Vic Marzan, told CBS News Sacramento in a statement Wednesday night: “My brother died for our country. He was a lifelong employee. He loved his family and his country.”

Marzan’s niece, Irene Mary, wrote on Facebook that Marzan had served in the military for more than 30 years and would be returning home in about two months from what would be his final deployment.

“He is our Hero with the heart of a slave, he leads with love and courage, he gave a great sacrifice for our country, an honorable soldier, and I believe that God welcomed him Home with open arms saying ‘Well done, my son, well done,'” wrote Mary.

Mary wrote that Marzan is survived by his wife and two children.