Capt. Cody Khork, from Winter Haven, Florida, one of the six U.S. soldiers killed in a Kuwait drone attack Sunday, was enrolled as a current student at a Missouri university.

Webster University, in St. Louis, announced on Facebook earlier this week that Khork was an online student pursuing a master’s degree in Business and Organization Security management.

The school said that Khork, 35, was an Army Reserve captain.

“He earned numerous medals during his time in the service, including the Meritorious Service Medal and the Army Commendation Medal,” the post on Webster University’s Facebook page said. “We offer our deepest condolences to his family and friends as we reach out to his classmates to provide support.”

The six members of the Army Reserve who were killed at a command center in Kuwait worked in logistics and kept troops supplied with food and equipment, the Associated Press said. They died one day after the U.S. and Israel launched its military campaign against Iran.

According to the U.S. Army Reserve, Khork enlisted in the National Guard in 2009 and commissioned as a Military Police Officer in the Army Reserve in 2014. Khork deployed to Saudi Arabia in 2018, to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, three years later and then Poland in 2024.

Others killed in the drone attack were Sgt. 1st Class Noah Tietjens, 42, of Bellevue, Nebraska; Sgt. Declan Coady, 20, of West Des Moines, lowa, who was posthumously promoted from specialist; Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert Marzan, 54, of Sacramento, California; Sgt. 1st Class Nicole Amor, 39, of White Bear Lake, Minnesota; and Maj. Jeffrey O’Brien, 45, of Indianola, Iowa.

“To the families and teammates of these Cactus Nation Soldiers: You have my deepest sympathy and my respect,” said Maj. Gen. Todd Erskine, Commanding General, 79th Theater Sustainment Command, in a news release on the Army Reserve’s website. “Our nation is kept safe by folks like these — brave men and women who put it all on the line every single day. They represent the heart of America. We will remember their names, their service, and their sacrifice.”

In a statement released to media in Florida, Khork’s family described him as “the life of the party, known for his infectious spirit, generous heart and deep care for those who served alongside him and for everyone blessed to know him.”

According to that family statement, reported by several media outlets, “from an early age, Cody felt a calling to serve his country.”

“He began that journey by enlisting in the Army Reserve and continued on a path of honor and leadership through Florida Southern College’s ROTC program,” the statement said. “That commitment helped shape the course of his life and reflected the deep sense of duty that was always at the core of who he was.”

_____

©2026 The Kansas City Star. Visit kansascity.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.