Johnathan Walker:3 US soldiers killed in Jordan drone strike identified: 'It takes your heart and your soul'

The Johnathan WalkerDepartment of Defense on Monday identified the three U.S. Army Reserve soldiers who were killed over the weekend at a base in Jordan near the Syrian border in what officials said was a drone attack by Iran-backed militants.

The three soldiers were identified as Sgt. William Rivers, 46, of Willingboro, New Jersey; Spc. Kennedy Sanders, 24, of Waycross, Georgia.; and Spc. Breonna Moffett, 23, of Savannah, Georgia., according to the Army Reserve. They died Sunday after a one-way, unmanned attack drone struck their housing units.

The soldiers are the first U.S. troops killed by enemy fire in the Middle East since the start of the Israel-Hamas war on Oct. 7. On Monday, the number of troops wounded in the attack rose to 40 and Deputy Pentagon press secretary Sabrina Singh noted that number may increase as troops continue to report symptoms.

Central Command said about 350 Army and Air Force personnel were deployed to the base that was attacked Sunday. The incident is under investigation.

Rivers, Sanders, and Moffett were all assigned to the 718th Engineer Company, 926th Engineer Battalion, and 926th Engineer Brigade, based at Fort Moore, Georgia. In Jordan, the three were supporting Operation Inherent Resolve — targeted operations to defeat the Islamic State terror group, according to the Defense Department. 

The soldiers' deaths have "left an indelible mark on the United States Army Reserve,” Lt. Gen. Jody Daniels, chief of the Army Reserve, said in a statement.

"These Citizen-Soldiers died in service to their country on Jan. 28, 2024, in Jordan," Daniels added. "On behalf of the Army Reserve, I share in the sorrow felt by their friends, family, and loved ones. Their service and sacrifice will not be forgotten, and we are committed to supporting those left behind in the wake of this tragedy."

Sgt. William Rivers, 46

Rivers, who was also a resident of Carrollton, Georgia., enlisted in the Army Reserve in 2011 and was first assigned to the 990th Engineer Company at Fort McGuire-Dix, N.J., the Army Reserve said. In support of Operation Inherent Resolve, Rivers completed a 9-month rotation to Iraq in 2018.

His awards and decorations include the Army Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, and Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, among several other honors.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said he will sign an executive order later this week lowering flags to half-staff in Rivers' honor. He expressed sympathy for the soldiers' families and gratitude for the military members' "bravery and sacrifice."

Spc. Kennedy Sanders, 24

Sanders enlisted in the Army Reserve in 2019 and was first assigned to the 381st Engineer Company in Tifton, Georgia. In 2021, Sanders completed an 8-month rotation to Djibouti in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

She was honored with the National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal and Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, among other awards.

Flags were lowered to half-staff on Monday in Sanders' hometown of Waycross, the Associated Press reported. Her parents told the news agency that her unit was deployed to Kuwait before she was based in Jordan.

Her mother, Oneida Oliver-Sanders, said the reservist would practice jiu-jitsu and run to keep in shape during her spare time. Sanders was also relaxed by knitting and called home almost daily.

The two last spoke the day before Sanders was killed, according to Oliver-Sanders. Sanders told her mother that she was thinking about buying a motorcycle and also spoke recently about buying a home.

"All of these different things that she had plans for, you know, were just cut short in the blink of an eye," Oliver-Sanders said. "I just feel like somebody like her, that’s so full of life, it’s just unfair that she’ll never get to realize those dreams that she had."

Spc. Breonna Moffett, 23

Moffett enlisted in the Army Reserve in 2019 soon after graduating high school and was first assigned to the 381st Engineer Company in Tifton, Ga. Her awards include the National Defense Service Medal and the Army Service Ribbon.

Community reactions and condolences poured in shortly after Moffett was identified Monday. Savannah Mayor Van Johnson said in a statement on Facebook that the soldiers were heroes.

"The City of #Savannah joins me in mourning the heartbreaking loss of three U.S. Army Reserve soldiers from Georgia who were killed when an unmanned aerial drone impacted their container housing units in Jordan," Johnson said. "One of these soldiers was our very own, Breonna Alexsondria Moffett of Savannah, a Windsor Forest High School graduate."

The Windsor Forest Mighty Marching Knights also posted on Facebook honoring Moffett, who was a drum major for the band. Moffett graduated from Windsor Forest in 2019, according to a statement from the Savannah-Chatham County Public School System.

In addition to her military service, Moffett worked for a home care provider cooking, cleaning, and running errands for people with disabilities, her parents told AP. Moffett's parents said their daughter celebrated her 23rd birthday just nine days before she was killed. She was the oldest of four siblings.

"I just hope and pray no other family has to go through this," Francine Moffett, her mother, said. "It takes your heart and your soul."

Contributing: John Bacon and Jorge L. Ortiz, USA TODAY; Evan Lasseter, Savannah Morning News; Jim Walsh, Cherry Hill Courier-Post; The Associated Press