Three U.S. Army Reserve soldiers were killed and more than 40 others were injured in a drone attack on a remote outpost in northeastern Jordan known as Tower 22 on January 28, 2024. The strike, which the Pentagon attributed to an Iran-backed militia, marked the first time U.S. service members had been killed by hostile fire in the Middle East since the start of the Israel-Hamas war.
The Attack on Tower 22
The attack occurred in the early morning hours while many personnel were sleeping in their living quarters. According to the Department of Defense, the one-way attack drone struck the logistics support base, which serves as a critical node for U.S. forces operating in the region.
The three soldiers killed were identified by the Department of Defense as Sgt. William Jerome Rivers, 46, of Carrollton, Georgia; Spc. Kennedy Ladon Sanders, 24, of Waycross, Georgia; and Spc. Breonna Alexsondria Moffett, 23, of Savannah, Georgia. All three were assigned to the 718th Engineer Company, a U.S. Army Reserve unit based in Fort Moore, Georgia.
Intelligence and Attribution
U.S. officials stated that the attack was facilitated by an umbrella group of Iran-backed militias known as the Islamic Resistance in Iraq. While the United States did not directly accuse the Iranian government of ordering the specific strike, the White House maintained that Iran holds responsibility for equipping and funding the groups responsible for the ongoing regional hostilities.
The incident prompted an immediate response from the Biden administration. President Biden stated that the United States would hold all those responsible to account "at a time and in a manner of our choosing."
Strategic Context and Regional Tensions
Tower 22 is located near the Syrian border, a position that allows U.S. forces to advise and assist partner nations while maintaining a presence to counter regional threats, including the remnants of ISIS. Since October 2023, U.S. bases in Iraq and Syria have faced more than 160 attacks by Iran-backed groups, according to Pentagon data.
The January 28 strike highlighted the vulnerability of these small, exposed outposts to low-cost drone technology. Military analysts noted that the drone’s ability to evade base defenses—potentially due to confusion with a returning U.S. surveillance drone—posed significant questions regarding force protection protocols in the theater.
Casualty Summary
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Fatalities | 3 U.S. Army Reserve soldiers |
| Injuries | 40+ personnel |
| Location | Tower 22, Jordan |
| Date | January 28, 2024 |
| Attributed Actor | Iran-backed militia (Islamic Resistance in Iraq) |
Following the attack, the U.S. military conducted retaliatory strikes against multiple facilities used by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and affiliated militias in Iraq and Syria. The administration emphasized that these actions were intended to degrade the capabilities of those responsible for the attacks on U.S. personnel while attempting to avoid a wider regional conflict.
Worth a look