Sgt. William Jerome Rivers, 46, of Willingboro, New Jersey, was killed along with Spc. Breonna Alexsondria Moffett, 23, and Spc. Kennedy Ladon Sanders, 24, in a drone strike on their base in Jordan near the Syrian border.
One of three Army Reserve soldiers killed in a weekend drone attack in Jordan previously lived in New Jersey.
Sgt. William Jerome Rivers, 46, of Willingboro, New Jersey, was killed along with Spc. Breonna Alexsondria Moffett, 23, and Spc. Kennedy Ladon Sanders, 24, in a drone strike on their base in Jordan near the Syrian border, according to the Department of Defense.
All three were reservists assigned to the 926th Engineer Brigade based at Fort Moore, Georgia.
Rivers enlisted in the Army Reserve in 2011 and was first assigned to the 990th Engineer Company at Fort McGuire-Dix in New Jersey. He completed a nine-month tour in Iraq in 2018 and was assigned to Fort Moore last year.
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According to NBC News, Rivers' awards and decorations include the Army Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, two Army Reserve Component Overseas Training Ribbon, Armed Forces Reserve Medal with “M” Device, and the Inherent Resolve Campaign Medal with Campaign Star.
New Jersey Sen. Corey Booker issued a statement of condolences at the death of the three service members.
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“Sergeant Rivers served with courage, honor, and a deep sense of duty, embodying the best of New Jersey and our nation," Booker said. "His death is a profound loss to his family, friends, colleagues, and our entire country, and a reminder of the heavy debt we owe to our military families for their sacrifice."
Aside from the soldiers killed, the Pentagon said more than 40 troops were wounded in the attack, most with cuts, bruises, brain injuries and similar wounds. Eight were medically evacuated, including three who were going to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany. The other five, who suffered minor brain injuries, were expected to return to duty.
The drone attack was one of dozens on U.S. troops in the Middle East since Hamas launched attacks on Israel on Oct. 7, igniting the war in Gaza. But it’s the first in which American service members have been killed.
Biden promised on Sunday to “hold all those responsible to account at a time and in a manner (of) our choosing” but said the U.S. wasn’t seeking to get into another conflict in the Middle East.
