The Pentagon has identified three U.S. Army soldiers killed in an Iranian strike on a military base in Jordan over the weekend.
The Pentagon said Monday that 19-year-old Pvt. Isabella Gonzales of Carrollton, Texas, was killed in action on Friday during an attack on Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan, and that 1st Lt. Tyler James Feehan, 25, of Ewa Beach, Hawaii, was killed in action on Saturday.
A separate statement on Tuesday said Sgt. Angel S. Rampersad, 28, of Ozone Park, New York, was also believed to have been killed in action on Friday. Rampersad had previously been listed as missing in action.
The Pentagon said the soldiers were supporting Operation Inherent Resolve, the name for the U.S. mission against ISIS. They were assigned to the Army Air Missile Defense Command.
Department of Defense
Four other U.S. service members were medically evacuated to a hospital in Jordan and have since been discharged. Other service members were treated for minor injuries, according to the military.
A U.S. official had previously confirmed to CBS News that the attack occurred at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base. The location of the strike was first reported by The Wall Street Journal.
The Pentagon said Rampersad and Gonzales were both assigned to the 1st Battalion, 57th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 52nd Air Defense Artillery Brigade, 10th Army Air Missile Defense Command, in Ansbach, Germany.
Gonzales’ friends described her as outgoing, spontaneous, and someone who loved to dance. They told CBS News Texas she left for boot camp exactly one year ago.
“I think she really did want to make people proud of who she was,” Zuleyka Acosta said. “She wanted to be very disciplined, and she wanted people to view her as someone who was very brave.”
Rampersad, who served as a 25U Signal Operations Support Specialist, enlisted in the Army in 2019. Her awards included the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters, the Army Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal and the Army Service Ribbon.
“Sgt. Rampersad lived a life of courage and selflessness. New York, and our nation, are safer because of brave Americans like her who answer the call to serve,” New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a statement, calling Rampersad’s death an “unimaginable loss.”
Feehan was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 55th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 32nd Army Air Missile Defense Command, Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
He was born and raised in Utah, but was living on Oahu when he joined the Hawaii Army National Guard in 2019, at the age of 18, CBS affiliate Hawaii News Now reported.
“Obviously, from a very early age, felt the need to serve our country. He pursued that,” said U.S. Rep. Ed Case, who represents the Ewa Beach area. “Our hearts go out to his family, to his ohana.”
The White House said President Trump will attend the dignified transfer at Dover Air Force Base, which has now been rescheduled for 11 a.m. ET on Wednesday.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reacted to the deaths of the U.S. service members in a social media post saying, “Godspeed, heroes.” “Their sacrifice only stiffens our resolve,” Hegseth said on X.
Following that Iranian attack, U.S. forces launched a new round of airstrikes against Iran at the direction of President Trump, CENTCOM said Saturday evening.
It marked the eighth straight night of strikes on Iran since ceasefire talks broke down, and the strikes continued the following day as well.
“The strikes are designed to further degrade Iran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and swiftly punish Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces who launched attacks against American service members in Jordan last night,” CENTCOM said.
The deaths in the latest round of fighting mark the 15th and 16th among U.S. service members in the war with Iran. Prior to Saturday, the most recent death was that of a U.S. Navy pilot who died when his MH-60S helicopter made an emergency landing at sea last month, though the Navy said there was “no indication” of hostile action.
Six service members were killed in an Iranian attack on a base in Kuwait in March. Also in March, six were killed when a refueling plane crashed in Iraq, and one was killed in an Iranian strike on the Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia.
