Army reservist, 20, killed in Iranian drone strike in Kuwait spent final hours reassuring family: ‘I’m good’

Fallen U.S. Army Reserve Sgt. Declan Coady, 20, spent his last hours successful Kuwait sending dependable updates location to easiness his family’s fears amid the warfare with Iran — earlier soundlessness replaced his messages and uniformed officers arrived astatine his parents’ door.

Coady, a Drake University pupil from Des Moines, Iowa, was 1 of six Army Reserve soldiers killed Saturday successful an Iranian drone onslaught astatine the Port of Shuaiba successful Kuwait portion supporting Operation Epic Fury, according to the Department of War (DoW).

He was the youngest of the fallen soldiers identified by the DoW, and enlisted successful the Army Reserve successful 2023 arsenic an Army accusation exertion specialist.

In an affectional interview, his father, Andrew Coady, said the household learned astir the casualties soon aft waking up Sunday morning, but did not judge Declan was progressive due to the fact that helium had spoken to his member successful Italy earlier successful the morning.

Sgt. Declan Coady and 5 different U.S. Army Reserve soldiers were killed successful a drone onslaught successful Kuwait connected Sunday. (U.S. Army Reserve Command Press Desk)

"Declan conscionable was checking successful with him, and the crushed being is Declan is 9 hours up of us," Andrew said. "He was 2 hours up of his brother, truthful helium called his brother. Declan had been sending america updates each 1 to 2 hours, like, 'hey, everything's inactive good. I'm good.' Which goes to amusement you, you know, helium was reasoning astir us. Like, 'don't interest astir me' and truthful forth."

Based disconnected accusation the household received, Andrew said Declan's cognition halfway was apt deed soon aft helium got disconnected the telephone with his brother.

"At the time, my woman had sent different connection to him … and we didn't perceive back," Andrew said. "They whitethorn not ever beryllium capable to respond, but I volition accidental astir of america started to [worry]. Your gut starts to get a feeling. We spell to furniture reasonably early, truthful we got acceptable Sunday nighttime to spell to bed, and we had conscionable turned the lights disconnected and went into the chamber and the doorbell rang astatine 8 p.m."

Andrew Coady and his girl Keira, right, speech astir his son, Sgt. Declan Coady, 20, of West Des Moines, Iowa, extracurricular their home, Tuesday, successful West Des Moines, Iowa. (Charlie Neibergall/AP Photo)

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Declan's portion deployed to Kuwait successful September and was owed location successful May, according to his father.

"There was a petition for the relation that helium could bash and fill, that a caller portion was coming successful and didn't person truthful galore successful that slot, and if he'd beryllium consenting to widen 9 much months," Andrew Coady said. "So we were discussing that, pros and cons. He hadn't made a determination yet."

He reminisced astir a speech with his son, wherever Declan told him that his erstwhile jobs did not comparison to the emotion helium had for service.

"But 1 happening helium did accidental is that, 'You know, I haven't had a batch of jobs, but I've had jobs successful the civilian world. And I've been implicit present for six months and I enactment 12+ hr days. I enactment six to 7 days a week,'" Andrew said. "And helium goes, ‘I emotion it.’"

This photograph provided by Andrew Coady shows his son, Declan Coady, posing for a photograph connected the time of his graduation astatine U.S. Army Training Center astatine Fort Sill, Okla. (Andrew Coady via AP)

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His begetter explained Declan could person continued attending adjacent Drake University — wherever helium was studying accusation systems, cybersecurity and machine subject — and commissioned arsenic an serviceman aft graduating from the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC).

However, helium decided to redeploy with this portion and proceed online classes successful Kuwait.

"He benignant of planned it out, that helium was adamant, like, 'I'm gonna spell with my unit,'" Andrew said.

Just a week earlier the fatal attack, his begetter said Declan called him to fto him cognize helium was recommended for a promotion from specializer to sergeant, a fertile helium received posthumously.

The fallen work members were identified arsenic Sgt. 1st Class Noah Tietjens, 42, of Bellevue, Nebraska; Sgt. 1st Class Nicole Amor, 39, of White Bear Lake, Minnesota; Capt. Cody Khork, 35, of Lakeland, Florida; and Sgt. Declan Coady, 20, of Des Moines, Iowa. Two further soldiers killed successful the onslaught person not yet been publically identified. (U.S. Army Reserve Command Press Desk; Fox News)

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Declan's sister, Keira Coady, tearfully remembered the time her member near for Kuwait, showing reporters photos of him with their family's favored cat.

"This was the greeting earlier we dropped him disconnected for him to leave," Keira said. "He was our cat, Autumn's, favorite. She'd beryllium successful his country portion helium would crippled for hours, and beg for attention, and helium would springiness it to her. He's 20. He was going to beryllium 21 successful 2 months."

Keira Coady talks astir her brother, Sgt. Declan Coady, 20, of West Des Moines, Iowa, extracurricular her home, Tuesday, successful West Des Moines, Iowa. (Charlie Neibergall/AP Photo)

Keira said the daze has not yet subsided, explaining, "I inactive don't afloat deliberation it's real."

"I didn't deliberation it was existent erstwhile they told us," Keira said. "I conscionable retrieve each of our conversations astir what helium was gonna bash erstwhile helium came back. And truthful I'll conscionable beryllium sitting and reasoning astir it. It's just, it's truly hard. … I didn't person the aforesaid telephone this play that my dada and similar my member did [with Declan]. I conscionable truly privation I got to archer him I emotion you 1 much clip due to the fact that helium was conscionable truthful amazing."

She added her member was not 1 to fto his emotions show, but she tin ideate his fearfulness connected the time of the attack.

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"I can't assistance but think, just, helium was my small brother, and helium was astir apt truly frightened adjacent if helium didn't privation radical to know," Keira said. "I privation helium could person known 1 much clip that we each loved him due to the fact that helium was truthful astonishing and kind. … He was conscionable similar the champion small member you could have."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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