Ceremony to honor three US Army soldiers killed in a drone attack in Jordan
In Georgia, family members, friends, and fellow service members are coming together for the funeral services of three Army Reserve soldiers who lost their lives in a drone strike at a US base in Jordan last month.
7:01 AM EST, February 13, 2024
The ceremony
According to The Times of Israel, the initial funeral service for Staff Sgt. William Jerome Rivers is set for this morning at a Baptist church in Carrollton, located west of Atlanta. Rivers, a 46-year-old Army reservist and native of Pennsylvania, leaves behind a wife and son in Georgia. With a service record spanning over a decade, initially enlisting as an electrician, Rivers's military career featured an overseas deployment, notably a nine-month stint in Iraq in 2018. His obituary, provided by a local funeral home, describes him as a devoted family man known for his kind nature, gentle demeanor, and a personality marked by both determination and warmth.
Victims of the January attack
On January 28, a drone attack targeted a U.S. military base in Jordan, resulting in the deaths of Rivers, along with Sgt. Kennedy Sanders and Sgt. Breonna Moffett, all of whom were posthumously promoted in rank. They were members of the 926th Engineer Battalion, part of the 926th Engineer Brigade, stationed at Fort Moore in western Georgia
As reported by US news, the drone attack on January 28 marked the first U.S. casualties attributed to Iran-supported militias following an escalation in assaults on American forces in the area, coinciding with the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas conflict in October.
Additionally, over 40 military personnel sustained injuries during the drone strike at Tower 22, a highly confidential U.S. military facility situated in the desert. This outpost plays a crucial role in facilitating discreet entry and exit of U.S. forces to and from Syria.
Source: US News, The Times of Israel
