A 28-year-old airman from Oklahoma was among those killed in the rocket attack on a coalition base in Iraq last week, according to a Pentagon report.
U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Marshal D. Roberts, of Owasso, along with U.S. Army Spc. Juan Covarrubias of Hanford, Calif., and U.K. Lance Corporal Brodie Gillon, was killed in the attack on Camp Taji, north of Baghdad, on Wednesday, March 11, 2020. In response, the U.S. military launched retaliatory air strikes on Kataib Hezbollah positions in Iraq. The Iranian-backed militia is believed to have been responsible for the attack.
“The international military coalition is capable and credible because of warriors like Juan, Brodie, and Marshal,” said Lt. Gen. Pat White, commanding general of Combined Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve, the coalition to defeat the Islamic State. “They volunteered to serve the United States and the United Kingdom to improve their lives and help keep the world free from ISIS terrorism. Our fallen comrades have a legacy that will never be forgotten.”