On Wednesday, July 22, 2026, President Donald Trump attended a dignified transfer ceremony at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware to honor four U.S. service members recently killed in action in Jordan and Iraq. Trump was seen saluting the flag-draped caskets alongside Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.

The fallen included 1st Lt. Isabella Gonzales, 19, of Carrollton, Texas, who was killed in Jordan, and Sgt. Michael Emmanuel Swinton, 30, from Fayetteville, North Carolina, who was killed in Iraq. Also honored was Tyler James Feehan, 25, of Ewa Beach, Hawaii.

Central Command reported over the weekend that the service members were killed at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan while CENTCOM and partner forces defended against Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks.

Ahead of the ceremony, President Trump described the four service members as "great heroes" and acknowledged the difficulty of the occasion, stating, "It’s one of the hardest things to do -- for me, it's one of the hardest things to do as a president. But it has to be done."

Addressing the families, Trump said, "We love your child," emphasizing the personal loss experienced by the families. He added, "And that's what they are to them. They're their children. There's no games, no nothing. That's their child. And all you could do is throw out your heart."

In tribute, efforts are underway to build a scholarship in the name of one of the fallen, aimed at opening doors to education for those who serve or hope to serve, starting with the soldier's death gratuity.

Sources