WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – An Army Reserve soldier from Winter Haven has been identified as one of the first six service members killed since the United States began its conflict with Iran, according to our sister station WKMG in Orlando.
The Department of Defense released the names of four of the six soldiers who died in an Iranian drone attack at Port Shuaiba, Kuwait, on Sunday.
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Capt. Cody A. Khork, 35, was from Winter Haven in Polk County. He was assigned to the 103rd Sustainment Command in Des Moines, Iowa.
The three other soldiers were Sgt. 1st Class Noah L. Tietjens, 42, of Bellevue, Nebraska; Sgt. 1st Class Nicole Amor, 39, of White Bear Lake, Minnesota, and Sgt. Declan J. Coady, 20, of West Des Moines, Iowa, who was posthumously promoted from specialist.
According to the U.S. Department of Defense, the service members worked in logistics, including equipment, ammunition and supplies.
Central Command at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa announced the deaths of three service members on Sunday. On Monday, they said a fourth service member died from injuries they suffered in the attack.
Later in the day, CENTCOM announced two more service members who had been unaccounted for after the attack were found dead.
The city of Winter Haven later provided the following statement in response to Capt. Khork’s death.
“The City of Winter Haven extends our deepest condolences to the family, friends, and fellow service members of Captain Cody A. Khork, a Winter Haven native who served our nation with honor.
Captain Khork was one of four U.S. Army Reserve soldiers who lost their lives on March 1 in Kuwait while supporting military operations overseas.
Captain Khork was a graduate of Lake Region High School (2008) and Florida Southern College (2014). He enlisted in the National Guard in 2009 and later commissioned as a Military Police Officer in the Army Reserve in 2014. During his service, he deployed to Saudi Arabia in 2018, Guantanamo Bay in 2021, and Poland in 2024.
Throughout his military career, Captain Khork received numerous medals and honors recognizing his service, leadership, and commitment to others.
Friends remember Cody as someone who was easygoing, always smiling, and the kind of person who looked out for the people around him — the type of friend who made it feel like no time had passed when you ran into him around town.
Winter Haven will remember Captain Khork with gratitude and honor.
Please keep his family and loved ones in your thoughts and prayers."