New details have emerged about six U.S. soldiers killed in an Iranian strike in Kuwait, revealing that several statements from Kentucky politicians about the victims’ connection to the state were inaccurate.
Military officials confirmed to Kentucky Public Radio that none of the four publicly identified soldiers were from Kentucky or stationed at Fort Knox.
According to spokespersons from Fort Bragg and Fort Knox, the soldiers were part of a unit that operated under the 1st Theater Sustainment Command, which is headquartered at Fort Knox but permanently deployed in Kuwait.
Officials explained that the Iowa-based unit only falls under the Kentucky command structure while deployed to Kuwait.
“The Soldiers were not assigned to Fort Knox or permanently assigned to 1st TSC,” Fort Knox officials said in an emailed statement.
The U.S. Department of War identified four of the six soldiers who died in the strike. All were members of the 103rd Sustainment Command based in Des Moines, Iowa. The unit is responsible for providing critical support such as food, fuel, water, ammunition and transportation to military forces.
The identified soldiers are:
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Capt. Cody A. Khork, 35, of Winter Haven, Florida
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Sgt. 1st Class Noah L. Tietjens, 42, of Bellevue, Nebraska
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Sgt. 1st Class Nicole M. Amor, 39, of White Bear Lake, Minnesota
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Sgt. Declan J. Coady, 20, of West Des Moines, Iowa
Despite this, several Kentucky political leaders initially stated that the soldiers had ties to Kentucky.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear posted on his political account on X Tuesday asking people to pray for the six soldiers killed “including those based out of my home state of Kentucky.” The account later clarified Wednesday that the troops were actually part of an Iowa-based unit.
It remains unclear where Beshear’s office obtained the initial information. The governor’s press liaison did not confirm whether the office received official details from the military.
The claim quickly spread among other Kentucky politicians and candidates involved in the upcoming U.S. Senate race.
Daniel Cameron, Amy McGrath and Charles Booker — candidates seeking the Senate seat currently held by Mitch McConnell — also posted statements suggesting the soldiers were based in Kentucky.
Cameron’s campaign responded to questions by saying it is always tragic when a soldier dies “regardless of where they are from,” but did not directly address the accuracy of their earlier statement.
A spokesperson for McGrath’s campaign said the candidate relied on a news source that later issued a correction. The campaign subsequently updated or removed the related social media posts.
Booker’s campaign did not respond to requests for comment.
Other Kentucky leaders also shared posts suggesting a connection to the state. Democratic Rep. Morgan McGarvey reposted an article with a misleading headline on X, writing that the deaths were devastating, “especially those based here at home in Kentucky.”
Republican Sen. Rand Paul wrote on social media that the loss hit close to home after learning of “connections to our state.”
Neither office responded to requests for clarification.
The City of Radcliff also issued a statement Tuesday calling the fallen soldiers “our neighbors,” but later removed the post. Officials have not explained why the statement was taken down.
Radcliff Mayor J.J. Duvall later told a Louisville television station that the city was unsure of the soldiers’ location but noted that the 1st Sustainment Command headquarters is located at Fort Knox.
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