Overview
- Sgt. Benjamin N. Pennington, 26, of Glendale, Kentucky, died March 8 from wounds sustained in a March 1 enemy strike on Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia, officials said.
- He served with the 1st Space Battalion, 1st Space Brigade at Fort Carson, Colorado, part of Army space and missile-defense units that provide missile warning, GPS support and satellite communications.
- His death raises the U.S. combat toll to seven since Operation Epic Fury began on Feb. 28, following earlier fatalities when an Iranian drone hit a makeshift operations center at Kuwait’s Shuaiba port.
- Pennington will be posthumously promoted to staff sergeant, and the Pentagon says the circumstances of the Saudi Arabia attack remain under investigation.
- CENTCOM reported 18 U.S. troops wounded to date, and top defense officials have cautioned the public that additional casualties are likely as operations continue.