Trump participates in dignified transfer honoring U.S. soldiers killed in Syria

Washington — President Trump is participating in a solemn dignified transfer at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware on Wednesday to honor two members of the Iowa National Guard who were killed in Syria over the weekend. 

The two guardsmen killed in the Syrian desert Saturday were Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar, 25, of Des Moines, and Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, 29, of Marshalltown, according to the U.S. Army. They were members of the 1st Squadron, 113th Cavalry Regiment. Ayad Mansoor Sakat, a U.S. civilian who was working as an interpreter, was also killed. The Pentagon said an ISIS gunman ambushed the two guardsmen and the interpreter.

The president met with their families ahead of the solemn dignified transfer. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chief of Staff of the Army General Randy George are also present. First Lady Melania Trump was scheduled to join them, but a White House official said she could no longer attend. 

This is the first dignified transfer Mr. Trump has participated in since taking office in January, although he attended dignified transfer events in his first term. 

The solemn dignified transfer of remains at Dover Air Force Base is meant to honor those who have sacrificed their lives in the service of their country. The remains of the fallen military members are transferred from the aircraft to an awaiting vehicle at the base. The remains are then transferred to the mortuary facility at Air Force Mortuary Affairs Operations at the Dover Air Force Base. 

“The dignified transfer is not a ceremony; rather, it is a solemn movement of the transfer case by a carry team composed of military personnel from the fallen member’s respective service,” Air Force Mortuary Affairs Operations says. “A dignified transfer is conducted for every U.S. military member who dies in the theater of operation while in the service of their country.”