President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden attended the dignified transfer of Sergeant William Rivers, Sergeant Breonna Moffett and Sergeant Kennedy Sanders Friday afternoon at Dover Air Force Base. Rivers, Moeffett and Sanders all served in the U.S. Army reserves and were killed in an Iranian backed drone strike on the Tower 22 outpost in northeast Jordan Saturday. They were all from Georgia.
"The bodies of the Army reserve soldiers, Sgt. William Rivers, Sgt. Breonna Moffett and Sgt. Kennedy Sanders, each in a flag-draped transfer case, was removed one at a time by teams of six carriers in camouflage uniforms and white gloves who bore them from the cargo bay of a massive gray C-5 transport plane to a van," the White House pool report states. "President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden, both in overcoats against a cold north wind, stood just ahead and on the port side of the opened-up nose of the C-5, Sec. Austin and Joint Chiefs Chair Brown to their left. They arrived at 1341 and stood with Brown and others at the base of the ramp while a chaplain read a prayer."
President Biden and first lady Jill Biden attend the dignified transfer of the remains of the three soldiers killed in a drone attack at an outpost in Jordan last weekend. pic.twitter.com/A8s9hSwxrf
— CSPAN (@cspan) February 2, 2024
"They stood looking straight ahead, hands over their hearts, as each case was carried past them," the pool report continues. "The families of the service members viewed what the military refers to as a “solemn movement” from a small cordoned-off area on the tarmac out of view of the press pool, where two rows of plastic folding chairs had been arranged."
Before the transfers, Biden and the First Lady met with the families of the fallen.
In recognition of their exceptional courage, dedication, and leadership during Operation Inherent Resolve:
— Chief of the Army Reserve & Commanding General (@ChiefUSAR) February 2, 2024
Sgt. Rivers is posthumously promoted to the rank of Staff Sgt.
Spc. Sanders and Spc. Moffett are posthumously promoted to the rank of Sgt.
We will not forget. pic.twitter.com/Oil7WzcAVm
Dozens of U.S. troops were wounded in the Jordan attack. President Biden said Sunday he will issue a response at the time of his choosing. Friday afternoon, U.S. airstrikes were carried out on a number of Middle East targets.
Biden will spend the weekend at his residence in Wilmington.