Defense Department Identifies 3 Soldiers Killed at Base in Jordan

The Department of Defense on Monday identified three Army Reserve soldiers who were killed at a U.S. base in Jordan on Sunday in what the Biden administration said was a drone attack from an Iran-backed militia. The department said at least 34 other service members were wounded in the attack.

Those killed were Sgt. William Jerome Rivers, 46, of Carrollton, Ga.; Specialist Kennedy Ladon Sanders, 24, of Waycross, Ga.; and Specialist Breonna Alexsondria Moffett, 23, of Savannah, Ga.

The soldiers, two of them women, were assigned to the 718th Engineer Company, based at Fort Moore, Ga. — a team of soldiers trained to deploy at short notice to build roads, landing fields and protective earthen berms for U.S. forces.

“On behalf of the Army Reserve, I share in the sorrow felt by their friends, family and loved ones,” said the chief of the Army Reserve, Lt. Gen. Jody Daniels. “Their service and sacrifice will not be forgotten, and we are committed to supporting those left behind in the wake of this tragedy.”

In Jordan, the three were assigned to a remote desert logistics outpost, called Tower 22, in the northeastern part of the country, where the borders of Syria, Iraq and Jordan converge. The small installation hosts about 350 U.S. Army and Air Force troops, according to the Pentagon’s Central Command.

U.S. troops have long used Jordan, strategically located near Iraq, Israel, the Palestinian territory of the West Bank, Saudi Arabia and Syria, as a launch point for operations. About 3,000 American troops are typically stationed in the country.