Sgt. Declan Coady

Sergeant Declan Coady was a 20-year-old soldier from West Des Moines, Iowa. He served with the 103rd Sustainment Command, a U.S. Army Reserve unit based in Des Moines that provides logistics and sustainment support for military operations.

On the morning of March 1, 2026, Coady was at a makeshift operations center established within the civilian Port of Shuaiba in Kuwait. According to U.S. Central Command reports, an Iranian unmanned aerial vehicle evaded air defenses and struck the facility. Coady was one of six U.S. service members killed in the attack, which marked the first American combat fatalities of the conflict.

The strike occurred during the initial phase of a major military escalation between the United States, Israel, and Iran, commonly referred to in media reports as Operation Epic Fury. The conflict followed a period of heightened regional tensions and involved widespread air and missile strikes across the Middle East.

In the aftermath, the U.S. Department of Defense confirmed the identities of the six personnel killed. Coady's body was repatriated to the United States. His death was reported by national news outlets, and Iowa's congressional delegation issued statements acknowledging the loss.

Sergeant Coady was among the youngest American service members reported killed in the conflict. He was posthumously promoted to the rank of Sergeant. A memorial service was held in Iowa, and his name is included on several online memorials dedicated to casualties of the 2026 conflict.

Sgt. Declan Coady was killed during US - Israel War on Iran (2026) (from February 2026 to November -0001). The conflict concluded in November -0001. See the full roster of those killed in this conflict.

Among those documented in the same conflict: The Schoolgirls of Minab ? 165 Victims, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Sgt. 1st Class Nicole Amor, General Abdol Rahim Mousavi.

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