DOD: NJ man among 3 US Army Reserve soldiers killed in Jordan drone strike
Sgt. William Jerome Rivers, of Willingboro, was killed in the attack, along with Spc. Kennedy Landon Sanders and Spc. Breonna Alexsondria Moffett, both of Georgia.
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A New Jersey man is among three United States Army Reserve soldiers who were killed in a drone strike in Jordan, according to the Department of Defense.
Sgt. William Jerome Rivers, of Willingboro, was killed in the attack, along with Spc. Kennedy Landon Sanders and Spc. Breonna Alexsondria Moffett, both of Georgia. Dozens of others were injured.
“Sgt. Rivers served with courage, honor, and a deep sense of duty, embodying the best of New Jersey and our nation. His death is a profound loss to his family, friends, colleagues, and our entire country, and a reminder of the heavy debt we owe to our military families for their sacrifice,” Sen. Cory Booker wrote in a statement.
Gov. Phil Murphy added, "As parents, Tammy and I send our heartfelt sympathies to all three families who now face the unimaginable pain of losing a cherished loved one. As Americans, we share our gratitude for the soldiers’ bravery and sacrifice, and for the courage of every servicemember fighting terrorism at home and abroad, to whom we owe a debt we can never repay."
Murphy says he will sign an executive order later this week to lower flags to half-staff in Rivers' honor.
Details of the Sunday attack emerged as President Joe Biden faced a difficult balancing act, blaming Iran and looking to strike back in a forceful way without causing any further escalation of the Gaza conflict.
As the enemy drone was flying in at a low altitude, a U.S. drone was returning to the small installation known as Tower 22, according to a preliminary report cited by two officials, who were not authorized to comment and insisted on anonymity.
As a result, there was no effort to shoot down the enemy drone that hit the outpost. One of the trailers where troops sleep sustained the brunt of the strike, while surrounding trailers got limited damage from the blast and flying debris.
Aside from the soldiers killed, the Pentagon said more than 40 troops were wounded in the attack, most with cuts, bruises, brain injuries and similar wounds. Eight were medically evacuated, including three who were going to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany. The other five, who suffered minor brain injuries, were expected to return to duty.
The drone attack was one of dozens on U.S. troops in the Middle East since Hamas launched attacks on Israel on Oct. 7, igniting the war in Gaza. But it’s the first in which American service members have been killed.
Biden promised on Sunday to “hold all those responsible to account at a time and in a manner (of) our choosing” but said the U.S. wasn’t seeking to get into another conflict in the Middle East.
The Associated Press wire services contributed to this report.
