President Donald Trump is set to undertake one of the most solemn duties as the Commander in Chief when he attends the dignified transfer ceremony for two Iowa National Guard members killed in Syria on Wednesday.
The event will take place at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, an occasion that honors U.S. service members who have died in action. Trump, who has attended several such ceremonies during his term, described it as the toughest thing I have to do as president.
The soldiers, Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar, 25, from Des Moines, and Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, 29, from Marshalltown, were both serving with the 1st Squadron, 113th Cavalry Regiment, when they lost their lives. They have been hailed as heroes by the Iowa National Guard.
In addition to the two guardsmen, a civilian interpreter named Ayad Mansoor Sakat from Michigan was also killed in the attack. Three other members of the Iowa National Guard were injured, but the Pentagon has not yet disclosed their identities.
The ceremony will follow a solemn ritual where transfer cases draped with the U.S. flag holding the fallen soldiers' remains are carried from military aircraft to an awaiting vehicle. The vehicle then transports them to the mortuary facility at the base for preparation for their final resting place.
Trump expressed his condolences for the families of the soldiers and vowed that there would be consequences for those responsible for the attack. The incident comes at a time when the U.S. has been working towards a rapprochement with Syria, which has been previously isolated from the international community.
During his presidency, Trump has attended similar ceremonies to honor other fallen service members, underscoring the emotional weight of such moments in his role as the leader of the nation.
