Pentagon Identifies Seventh Soldier Killed in Operation Epic Fury

WASHINGTON – The Pentagon identified Sgt. Benjamin N. Pennington, 26, of Glendale, Kentucky, as the seventh U.S. soldier killed since the start of Operation Epic Fury, dying from injuries sustained in an Iranian missile strike on Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia on March 1, 2026.

Pennington, assigned to the 1st Space Battalion, 1st Space Brigade at Fort Carson, Colorado, enlisted in 2017 as a 92Y unit supply specialist. He received three Army Commendation Medals and a Global War on Terrorism Service Medal during his service. The 1st Space Brigade supports missile warning, GPS tracking, and satellite communications for troops across six countries.

The incident marks the first fatality at the Saudi base in the conflict. The previous six soldiers, all from the 103rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) in Des Moines, Iowa, were killed in an Iranian drone strike on a base in Port Shuaiba, Kuwait: Maj. Jeffrey R. O’Brien, 45, of Indianola, Iowa; Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert M. Marzan, 54, of Sacramento, California; Capt. Cody A. Khork, 35, of Winter Haven, Florida; Sgt. 1st Class Nicole M. Amor, 39, of White Bear Lake, Minnesota; Sgt. 1st Class Noah L. Tietjens, 42, of Bellevue, Nebraska; and Sgt. Declan J. Coady, 20, of West Des Moines, Iowa.

President Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth offered condolences, calling Pennington a "brave warrior" defending American interests.

To date, the military action—entering its twelfth day—has involved over 2,000 strikes achieving air superiority, degrading nuclear and missile sites, sinking an Iranian warship, and eliminating key regime leaders, prompting Iranian retaliations including tanker attacks, drone strikes on the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh, and missile barrages on Gulf allies, with seven American service members killed. Reinforcements continue, with Trump projecting four to five weeks of targeted operations to secure U.S. and allied interests.