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| Brendan Smialowski / AFP via Getty Images file |
President Joe Biden will attend a ceremony called the dignified transfer for three American soldiers killed in a drone strike in Jordan, linked to Iranian-backed groups. These soldiers from Georgia are Sgt. William Jerome Rivers, Spc. Kennedy Ladon Sanders, and Spc. Breonna Alexsondria Moffett. The dignified transfer is a respectful process for every U.S. service member who dies in a foreign military operation.
During the ceremony, a team carries the soldiers' flag-draped transfer cases from the aircraft to a waiting van. This van transports the remains to a mortuary facility for preparation for their final resting places. A senior Army officer oversees the event as service members carry the transfer cases.
This is the second dignified transfer Biden attends since taking office. The soldiers were killed in a drone attack in Jordan, and retaliation against the responsible Iran-backed groups is anticipated. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is also expected to attend.
Biden praised the soldiers as "patriots in the highest sense," and he personally called Sanders' parents to share the news of her posthumous promotion. Media coverage of dignified transfers, allowed since 2009 with family consent, enables acknowledgment and support from colleagues and loved ones.
The drone strike injured over 30 service members. Biden stated the U.S. will choose the time and place for retaliation against the responsible groups, and it might last weeks. The dignified transfer is a solemn event to honor the sacrifice of these soldiers.
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