Third US soldier killed in Jordan was sergeant from New York

WASHINGTON — The third U.S. soldier killed in attacks on an air base in Jordan was Sgt. Angel Rampersad, the Pentagon confirmed Saturday.

Rampersad, 28, of Ozone Park, N.Y., was killed in the Iranian attack on Muwaffaq Salti Air Base on July 17.

The Pentagon previously identified 1st Lt. Tyler James Feehan, 25, and Pvt. Isabella Gonzales, 19, as the other fallen soldiers.

Military officials had been working to identify remains found after the attack, and Rampersad was listed as missing. She is confirmed as the third victim of the attack following positive identification by the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System.

The incident is under investigation.

Rampersad was assigned to 1st Battalion, 57th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 52nd Air Defense Artillery Brigade, 10th Army Air & Missile Defense Command out of Ansbach, Germany, according to the Pentagon statement.

“Today, we mourn the loss of Sgt. Angel Rampersad,” said Brig. Gen. Glenn Henke, commanding general of the 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command, in a statement on Wednesday.

“We extend our deepest, most heartfelt condolences to her family and all those who are navigating this unimaginable loss. The 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command is grieving, and we will continue to support one another as we process this tragedy.”

Rampersad enlisted in the Army in March 2019. Her awards include the Army Commendation Medal and the Army Good Conduct Medal.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul posted a tribute to Rampersad on X, writing her heart was “with her family, loved ones, and the soldiers who stood beside her as they grieve this unimaginable loss.”

A total of 18 service members have been killed and 447 have been injured in the conflict, which began on Feb. 28 and has escalated in recent weeks as a June ceasefire fell apart.

The U.S. and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding last month to end the war and enter into a 60-day period of negotiations on Tehran’s nuclear program and sanctions relief.

Both nations began trading strikes this month after both accused the other of violating a June ceasefire. Iran has resumed targeting oil tankers moving through the Strait of Hormuz, and the U.S. Navy reinstated its blockade on Iranian ports.

Four service members have been killed and nearly 100 have been injured in the last two weeks.

The U.S. on Tuesday concluded its 11th consecutive day of attacks, U.S. Central Command said in a post on X.

“The strikes are designed to continue degrading Iran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz,” the combatant command added.

Previous strikes have included targeting Iranian air defenses and missile and drone launch sites.