Pentagon Identifies Third Service Member in Jordan Attack

Why it matters locally: Louisiana is home to several active military installations and a significant number of military families and veterans, making events involving U.S. service members a point of community concern. The U.S. military has a considerable presence in the state, including the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base New Orleans and Fort Johnson (formerly Fort Polk).

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The Pentagon on Tuesday identified Sgt. William Jerome Rivers, 46, as the third U.S. service member killed in a drone attack in Jordan. The Department of Defense previously named Sgt. Kennedy Ladon Sanders, 24, and Sgt. Breonna Alexsondria Moffett, 23, as casualties from the same incident. The attack occurred Sunday at Tower 22, a remote U.S. military outpost in northeastern Jordan, near the Syrian border. The drone strike also resulted in injuries to over 40 other U.S. military personnel. All three identified service members were assigned to the 718th Engineer Company, a U.S. Army Reserve unit based in Fort Moore, Georgia. Rivers, Sanders, and Moffett were serving in support of Operation Inherent Resolve. U.S. officials have attributed the attack to Iranian-backed militant groups. The incident marks the first time U.S. military personnel have died in a hostile attack in the Middle East since the conflict between Israel and Hamas began in October.