On the holiday originally known as Decoration Day, Bleeding Heartland has often remembered the Iowans who died in wartime service. Sometimes, years have gone by with no new Iowa fatalities in a war theater.

Tragedy struck twice this past year, killing four Iowans deployed in the Middle East. Staff Sergeant William Nathaniel Howard and Staff Sergeant Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar died in Syria, where they were ambushed in December.

Major Jeffrey O’Brien and Sergeant Declan Coady, Army Reserve soldiers assigned to the 103rd Sustainment Command, died on March 1 after a drone hit their unit in Kuwait. They were among the first U.S. casualties in the war against Iran.

Staff Sgts. “Nate” Howard and Edgar Torres-Tovar were serving as part of Operation Inherent Resolve.

According to Staff Sgt. Howard’s obituary,

Inspired by his grandfather’s service, Nate knew from a very early age that he wanted to be a soldier. He soaked up any information he could about military history, firearms, and aircraft that he could get. He began living his dream of serving at the age of 17 as a senior at Marshalltown High School. He completed basic training and AIT at Fort Benning in Georgia after graduation in 2014. From that time on, he dedicated himself to becoming the best that he could be. Those that served with him knew him to strive for excellence and knew he had the ability to bring out the best in them as well.

His wife, family, friends, and brothers in arms knew him as funny and smart. He liked playing video games, woodworking, shooting firearms, and hanging out at home. He knew how to enjoy life, get a laugh out of those around him, and speak in fluent movie quotes and sarcasm. To know Nate was to know the best of us.

Staff Sgt. Torres-Tovar’s obituary noted,

To his brothers, Edgar was always a role model; to his sister, he was her protector and best friend. He was raised humbly, in a home where love and family unity were more than enough. He never asked for material things, because his family’s love fulfilled him completely. […]

His first deployment was to Kosovo, where he shared unforgettable experiences with close friends Freddy Sarceno, David Hernández, and Luis Corona. During that time, they remained united, forming bonds that would last a lifetime.

After returning from his first deployment, Edgar stayed for a time to help his father with the family gutter business. He enjoyed watching movies with his dad, talking with his mom, and spending time with his siblings, joking and laughing together. He loved speaking about his work in the Army and how meaningful it was to him. He enjoyed board games with his family and cousins, playing with his dog Daisy, and video games with his brothers. He deeply loved spending time with his sister, whom he considered his queen, and adored his nephews, Castiel and Christopher. While Christopher was still in his mother’s womb, Edgar dreamed of returning home to meet him and watch both nephews grow.

In 2022, Edgar proudly signed his second contract for deployment to Kuwait. In 2023, he met his girlfriend, Yareli, with whom he shared his stories and dreams of marriage and starting a family. […]

Edgar was an exemplary person, a source of pride for his parents and a role model for his siblings. He was a family man, loved by all who knew him. He had dreams, goals, and a smile that lit up any room. He loved his work, and he left this world doing what he was passionate about.

These are U.S. Army National Guard photos by 1st Sgt. Jason Everett and Spc. Armani Wilson from December 24, 2025, when transfer cases containing the fallen Iowa National Guard Soldiers arrived at the Des Moines International Airport. The Iowa National Guard honor guard conducted an honorable transfer to ceremoniously receive the Soldiers from the aircraft.

The Iowa National Guard shared photos from Staff Sgt. Howard’s memorial service at Marshalltown High School on December 27.

The Iowa National Guard also shared images from the December 29 funeral Mass for Staff Sgt. Torres-Tovar at Our Lady of the Americas Catholic Church, and from his burial at the Iowa Veterans Cemetery in Adel.

The Iowa National Guard announced on May 20 that the “final major group of Iowa National Guard Soldiers assigned to the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division have returned home to the United States today following deployment in support of Operation Inherent Resolve.”

Major Jeffrey O’Brien and Sgt. Declan Coady were U.S. Army Reserve soldiers supporting Operation Epic Fury in Kuwait at the Port of Shuaiba. These photos are courtesy of the U.S. Army Reserve.

Their deaths were shocking, in part because, as State Senator Matt Blake observed in a point of personal privilege, “Kuwait’s supposed to be the safe deployment.” Whenever he was in Iraq, his wife prayed every night for his safety. But when he was in Kuwait, his wife was relieved. Typically you don’t even get a combat badge for serving in Kuwait, according to Blake.

Declan Coady was just 20 years old. From his obituary:

Declan grew up in West Des Moines, Iowa, with his loving and supportive family. They enjoyed camping in our nation’s National Parks, where they also enjoyed hiking, white water rafting, and just being in nature. Declan, along with his brothers, Aidan and Rowan, were all active in Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts; all three achieved the rank of Eagle Scout. Ever competitive, Declan wanted to earn more merit badges than his brothers. He earned a total of 56 merit badges. Declan also enjoyed swimming on the Northside Otters swim team with his sister, Keira, and his brothers; he went on to swim as a Valley Tiger at Valley High School, as did each of his siblings.

Declan attended Sacred Heart Catholic School before transferring to Western Hills Elementary School in the fifth grade; he then attended Stillwell Junior High School and graduated from Valley High School in 2023. He attended Drake University, where he was studying information systems, cybersecurity, and computer science. He enlisted in the Army Reserve and graduated from Basic Combat Training (BCT) in March 2024 at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, and from Advanced Individual Training (AIT) in July 2024 at Fort Gordon, Georgia.

While at Drake University, he participated in the ROTC program; he could have signed a contract with ROTC and avoided his unit’s deployment to Kuwait, but instead, he chose to remain with his unit, and as a member of the 103rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary), he deployed to Kuwait in August 2025.

Declan spoke frequently to his family, and it was clear to all of them that he was fulfilled by the work that he was doing. Even with time differences, Declan continually made time to play video games with his older brother, Aidan, or to talk for hours with his parents, his older sister, Keira, and younger brother, Rowan about anime, plans for the future, and numerous shared interests. His family will always remember how loving, funny, and determined he was. He often spoke about extending his deployment in Kuwait and about going on active duty upon his return. Unfortunately, his plans were cut short by an Iranian drone strike the morning of March 1, 2026.

Declan will always be remembered as a brave, kind, and loyal young man. He was always willing to lend a hand and encourage others to achieve their highest potential. His education was very important to him; even in his deployment, he was enrolled in classes to stay on track for his degree. To Declan’s family, who miss him terribly, he continues to be an inspiration and a source of light.

From Major Jeffrey O’Brien’s obituary:

Those closest to Jeff knew his greatest pride and joy was his family. He was a devoted husband, a loving father of three, and an amazing friend. Jeff had a gentle spirit, generous heart, and a humility that defined everything he did. He was the kind of person who made others feel safe, valued, and cared for.

Jeff was not only a role model to his children, Samira, Nicolette, and Conor, but also a goofy and playful dad who was always ready to make them laugh. He loved coaching Conor in track, cheering Niki on at her gymnastics meets, and proudly embracing his role as a music and theater dad to Sami, who happened to take up the sax, just like him. Many evenings and weekends were spent at ballfields, competitions, and events, creating memories his family will carry forever. […]

Jeff was also proud to serve as a Major in the U.S. Army Reserve, assigned to the 103rd Sustainment Command in Des Moines. After attending Federal OCS at Ft. Benning, Jeff was commissioned as a Signal Corps Officer in 2012. Jeff was especially proud of earning his functional area as an Information Systems Engineer. Jeff served with dedication and humility and was previously deployed to Kuwait in 2019.

His service was recognized with numerous awards and decorations, including the Army Achievement Medal, Meritorious Unit Commendation, Army Superior Unit Award, Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Army Service Ribbon, and the Armed Forces Reserve Medal with “M” Device.

Even while serving thousands of miles away, Jeff always found ways to care for the people he loved. His dedication as a husband, father, soldier, and friend left an enduring impact on everyone who knew him. […]

Jeff will be remembered as a true hero whose life was defined not only by his uniform, but by the love he gave so freely to his family, his community, and his country.

KCCI-TV shared videos from the memorial services and celebration of life for Sgt. Coady and Major O’Brien. May their memories be for a blessing.