Read the full article on KETV 7
Andrew Coady said he had heard from his son, Declan, on Saturday. Declan, 20, called to tell his father that he was OK. Declan also called his brother, who serves in the Army and is deployed in Italy, hours before a fatal strike on his post in Kuwait.Coady trained as an information technology specialist with the Army Reserves. READ MORE: Iowa soldier among 4 US service members killed in Iranian strike in KuwaitHe had just told his father last Wednesday that he had been recommended for promotion and was hoping to be promoted to sergeant in April. Instead, he was posthumously promoted.Coady said his son loved what he was doing and had a plan of what he wanted to do. He was studying cybersecurity at Drake University in Des Moines and doing online classes while in Kuwait. He wanted to be an officer.”When he could have said, well, I’m doing ROTC (Reserve Officers’ Training Corps). I’m going to continue to do that. I want to commission as an officer and he would have been allowed to stay. That was my understanding to continue his education at Drake and just go through the ROTC route,” said his father. “But he was adamant, like I’m going to go with my unit.”Coady was killed in a strike at a command center in Kuwait. Five other U.S. service members were also hit. Iowa soldier among US service members killed in Iranian strikeDeclan was regularly in touch with his family while he was overseas. He and his 22-year-old sister, Keira, would mostly send messages and reels, she said. Coady and his two brothers, all Eagle Scouts, dragged Keira camping when they were growing up. He loved troubleshooting and he’d always help her, even if he put up a fight.”I still don’t fully think it’s real,” Keira Coady said. “I just remember all of our conversations about what he was going to do when he came back.”That would have included a belated celebration of his 21st birthday, which was just about two months away.”I just wish he could have known one more time that we all loved him,” she said, “because he was so amazing and kind.”Coady was one of four U.S. soldiers killed in the Iran war on Sunday and identified Tuesday by the Pentagon; two soldiers haven’t yet been publicly identified. Nebraska, Iowa leaders offer prayers after soldiers killed identifiedThe members of the Army Reserve worked in logistics and kept troops supplied with food and equipment.They died just one day after the U.S. and Israel launched its military campaign against Iran. Iran responded by launching missiles and drones against Israel and several Gulf Arab states that host U.S. armed forces.Those killed also included Capt. Cody Khork, 35, of Winter Haven, Florida; Sgt. 1st Class Noah Tietjens, 42, of Bellevue, Nebraska; and Sgt. 1st Class Nicole Amor of White Bear Lake, Minnesota. No other names were released.All were assigned to the 103rd Sustainment Command, which provides food, fuel, water and ammunition, transport equipment and supplies.Make sure you can always see the latest news, weather, sports and more from KETV NewsWatch 7 on Google search.NAVIGATE: Home | Weather | Local News | National | Sports | Newscasts on demand |
Andrew Coady said he had heard from his son, Declan, on Saturday. Declan, 20, called to tell his father that he was OK.
Declan also called his brother, who serves in the Army and is deployed in Italy, hours before a fatal strike on his post in Kuwait.
Advertisement
Coady trained as an information technology specialist with the Army Reserves.
READ MORE: Iowa soldier among 4 US service members killed in Iranian strike in Kuwait
He had just told his father last Wednesday that he had been recommended for promotion and was hoping to be promoted to sergeant in April.
Instead, he was posthumously promoted.
Coady said his son loved what he was doing and had a plan of what he wanted to do.
He was studying cybersecurity at Drake University in Des Moines and doing online classes while in Kuwait. He wanted to be an officer.
“When he could have said, well, I’m doing ROTC (Reserve Officers’ Training Corps). I’m going to continue to do that. I want to commission as an officer and he would have been allowed to stay. That was my understanding to continue his education at Drake and just go through the ROTC route,” said his father. “But he was adamant, like I’m going to go with my unit.”
Coady was killed in a strike at a command center in Kuwait. Five other U.S. service members were also hit.
Iowa soldier among US service members killed in Iranian strike
Declan was regularly in touch with his family while he was overseas.
He and his 22-year-old sister, Keira, would mostly send messages and reels, she said.
Coady and his two brothers, all Eagle Scouts, dragged Keira camping when they were growing up.
He loved troubleshooting and he’d always help her, even if he put up a fight.
“I still don’t fully think it’s real,” Keira Coady said. “I just remember all of our conversations about what he was going to do when he came back.”
That would have included a belated celebration of his 21st birthday, which was just about two months away.
“I just wish he could have known one more time that we all loved him,” she said, “because he was so amazing and kind.”
Coady was one of four U.S. soldiers killed in the Iran war on Sunday and identified Tuesday by the Pentagon; two soldiers haven’t yet been publicly identified.
Nebraska, Iowa leaders offer prayers after soldiers killed identified
The members of the Army Reserve worked in logistics and kept troops supplied with food and equipment.
They died just one day after the U.S. and Israel launched its military campaign against Iran. Iran responded by launching missiles and drones against Israel and several Gulf Arab states that host U.S. armed forces.
Those killed also included Capt. Cody Khork, 35, of Winter Haven, Florida; Sgt. 1st Class Noah Tietjens, 42, of Bellevue, Nebraska; and Sgt. 1st Class Nicole Amor of White Bear Lake, Minnesota. No other names were released.
All were assigned to the 103rd Sustainment Command, which provides food, fuel, water and ammunition, transport equipment and supplies.
Make sure you can always see the latest news, weather, sports and more from KETV NewsWatch 7 on Google search.
NAVIGATE: Home | Weather | Local News | National | Sports | Newscasts on demand |
