The plans were simple. A birthday celebration. Time at home with family. A chance to finally relax after months of service.
Declan J. Coady was counting down the days.
The 20-year-old U.S. Army reservist from West Des Moines, Iowa, had been looking forward to turning 21 on May 5 — a milestone that his family says meant more to him than most people realized. It was supposed to be the beginning of a new chapter: coming home, celebrating with the people who loved him most, and stepping into adulthood after committing himself to serve his country.
But that birthday will never come.
Coady was one of six U.S. Army reservists killed Sunday, March 1, during a drone strike on a military facility in Kuwait, according to the Pentagon. The soldiers were inside a command building at a port when the unmanned aircraft system attack occurred, ABC News reported.
The strike happened amid the rapidly escalating conflict between the United States and Iran — a war triggered by the joint U.S.-Israel offensive known as Operation Epic Fury, which American officials say is aimed at weakening Iran’s regime and limiting its nuclear ambitions.
For Declan’s family, however, the politics and strategy behind the war feel distant compared with the personal loss that now defines their lives.
They are mourning not just a soldier, but a son, a brother, and a young man whose future was only beginning to unfold.
A Knock on the Door That Changed Everything
In a heartbreaking statement shared with ABC News, Declan’s sister, Kiera Coady, described the terrifying hours leading up to the moment their worst fears were confirmed.
When the news of the attack first surfaced, the family tried to remain hopeful.
“On Sunday, March 1, after trying to check in, we heard nothing,” she said.
The silence was unsettling. But they tried to reassure themselves.
“Trying to be positive we all assumed he was just in a situation where he couldn’t message back,” Kiera explained. “But we all knew something was wrong.”
Hours passed with no word.
Then, at around 8 p.m., their doorbell rang.
“As we were getting ready to go to bed, the doorbell rang, and the rest of that night will forever be one of the worst nights of our lives,” she said.
For military families, a late-night knock on the door often carries a meaning no one wants to face.
“While it’s all blurry, we all knew what the doorbell meant.”
The news confirmed what they feared most: Declan had been critically injured during the drone attack and died while being transported to the hospital.
He was just 20 years old.
A Life Just Beginning
Declan J. Coady enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserve in 2023, embarking on a path that his family says reflected his character — steady, thoughtful, and committed to helping others.
Though young, he had already become someone the family relied on.
“He was truly a rock in all of our lives,” Kiera said.
In her words, describing her brother feels almost impossible.
“I wish I could think of words beyond that he was smart and kind and amazing,” she said. “But even if I were to throw in other words it still wouldn’t quite capture his spirit.”
Like many young service members, Coady was still navigating the transition between adolescence and adulthood. To his sister, that made the loss even harder to comprehend.
“He was just a baby,” she said through tears.
He had so much life left to live.
The Call That Never Came
In the hours after learning about the strike, Kiera’s first instinct was simple: call him.
Even knowing the situation, she hoped she might hear his voice — some reassurance that the news was wrong.
“I thought maybe he would answer,” she said. “Maybe I would hear his voice telling us he was safe.”
She dialed his number.
“But there was nothing,” she said. “Not even a voicemail.”
That silence now echoes painfully in her memory.
“The only thing I can think is that I wish I had called him one more time and told him I loved him,” she said.
It’s a regret many families share after sudden loss — the feeling that one more conversation might have meant everything.
“I wish that I had been able to be there or trade places with him or anything,” she continued, “just so he could have known he was safe and that we loved him and he didn’t need to be scared.”
A Birthday That Will Never Come
Among the many things that haunt the family now, one detail hurts the most.
Declan’s 21st birthday was only two months away.
The family had already begun talking about it — imagining how they would celebrate together when he returned home.
Turning 21 is a milestone in American culture, often marking the transition fully into adulthood. For Declan, it was something he had been looking forward to for months.
Now that moment will never arrive.
Instead of celebrating, his family will be remembering.
And the simple plans they once discussed — the quiet family gathering, the laughter, the milestone they expected to share — have become painful reminders of everything that has been lost.
Others Lost in the Strike
Declan was not the only life cut short in the attack.
The Pentagon has confirmed several other service members who were killed in the same drone strike.
Among them was Sgt. 1st Class Nicole M. Amor, a 39-year-old Army Reserve soldier and mother of two.
Also killed were Capt. Cody A. Khork, 35, and Sgt. 1st Class Noah L. Tietjens, 42.
Two additional service members who died in the strike have not yet been publicly identified.
Together, they were serving as part of the U.S. military presence in Kuwait during the escalating conflict tied to Operation Epic Fury.
Remembering the Person Behind the Uniform
For the Coady family, however, Declan will always be remembered for who he was before the uniform — and beyond it.
A brother who made people laugh.
A son who cared deeply about those around him.
A young man who still had countless firsts ahead of him.
Kiera says those who knew him understood just how special he was.
“He was the most amazing brother and son my family could have asked for,” she said.
In the coming days, friends, neighbors, and community members in West Des Moines are expected to gather to honor Declan’s life — and to support a family now learning how to live with an absence that cannot be filled.
For Kiera, one thought remains constant.
Not about war.
Not about politics.
Just about her little brother.
And the future they believed they still had time to live together. 💔
