WASHINGTON — The U.S. military confirmed the identity of the seventh soldier killed in the war with Iran as Staff Sergeant Benjamin N. Pennington, 26, from Glendale, Kentucky.
Pennington served in the 1st Space Brigade under the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command.
According to the military’s announcement, Pennington died on March 9, 2026, from severe wounds sustained in an Iranian retaliatory attack.
The attack occurred a week earlier at Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia, where U.S. forces were deployed on a mission.
Iran carried out drone attacks in retaliation for U.S. and Israeli military operations in the region.
Pennington’s death brings the total number of U.S. soldiers killed in the current conflict to seven.
Previously, six other U.S. service members were killed in Iranian drone attacks in Kuwait and the broader Middle East.
The U.S. military said Pennington was part of the missile defense and space systems support force, a unit tasked with protecting bases and strategic systems against threats from missiles and drones.
Memorial ceremonies for the fallen service members were held at Dover Air Force Base as the remains of the soldiers were returned to the United States.
The conflict between the U.S. and Iran continues to escalate following U.S. and Israeli military strikes on Iran’s military facilities and strategic infrastructure.
