On Wednesday, December 17, 2025, President Donald Trump attended the dignified transfer at Dover Air Force Base to honor three Americans killed in an ambush in Syria. This was the first such event Trump has participated in since returning to office in January 2025.
The three fallen Americans, who were killed on Saturday, December 13, 2025, near Palmyra, Syria, are:
- Sgt. William Nathaniel “Nate” Howard, 29, of Marshalltown, Iowa.
- Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar, 25, of Des Moines (Grimes), Iowa.
- Ayad Mansoor Sakat, 54, a U.S. civilian interpreter from Macomb, Michigan.
Both sergeants served with the 1st Squadron, 113th Cavalry Regiment of the Iowa National Guard. They were part of a coalition mission fighting the Islamic State when they were ambushed by a lone gunman. Three other Iowa National Guard members were injured in the attack; two are in stable condition and one has returned to duty. During the solemn ceremony, President Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth saluted the flag-draped transfer cases as they were moved from a C-17 transport aircraft. The President met privately with the families of the deceased prior to the transfer. Trump has vowed “serious retaliation” for the killings.
