The Pentagon on Tuesday identified a U.S. soldier believed to have been killed in last week’s Iranian missile attack on a U.S. air base in Jordan, days after he was initially listed as missing following one of the deadliest attacks on American forces since the Iran war escalated.
The Department of War identified Sgt. Angel S. Rampersad, 28, of Ozone Park, New York, is believed to have been killed in action during the July 17 attack on Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan. The incident surrounding Rampersad’s death remains under investigation, the department said.
U.S. Central Command initially reported that two service members had been killed in action and one was missing after Iranian ballistic missiles and drones struck the base. The military later changed Rampersad’s status to “whereabouts unknown” before announcing Tuesday that he is believed to be deceased.
Rampersad was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 57th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 52nd Air Defense Artillery Brigade, 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command in Ansbach, Germany.
The identification makes Rampersad the third U.S. service member believed to have died in the attack, as 1st Lt. Tyler Feehan, 25, and Pvt. Isabella Gonzales, 19, were identified as the other soldiers killed while defending the installation.
An additional soldier was killed in Iran’s strikes on U.S. assets over the weekend, identified as Sgt. Michael Emmanuel Swinton, 30, of Fayetteville, North Carolina, who was killed while dismantling a downed Iranian one-way attack drone on Sunday at Erbil Air Base in Iraq.
TIMELINE: ALL THE INCIDENTS WHERE US TROOPS HAVE BEEN KILLED DURING THE IRAN WAR
The strike on Muwaffaq Salti Air Base marked one of the deadliest strikes on U.S. forces since the Trump administration reignited military operations against Iran earlier this month. Iranian ballistic missiles and drones targeted the installation, damaging facilities and injuring dozens of service members. Four other service members were medically evacuated to Jordanian hospitals and have since been discharged.
The Pentagon said Monday that 17 U.S. troops have been killed since the United States and Israel launched attacks against Iran on Feb. 28, while around 500 others have been wounded. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said nearly 100 U.S. service members have sustained injuries since July 7. He said most were from minor concussions, with 96% of soldiers returning to duty.
Continue reading...
[ H/T Washington Examiner ]
