GEORGIA, — Communities across Georgia came together Saturday to bid farewell to two soldiers killed in a Jordan drone attack in January.
Sergeant Breonna Moffett and Sergeant Kennedy Sanders were remembered and honored at separate funeral services held this Saturday.
The sorrowful occasion marks a collective moment of mourning for the state as it pays tribute to Moffett and Sanders, whose lives were cut short in service to their country.
In Waycross, the hometown of Sergeant Kennedy Sanders, a public visitation was held Friday, drawing a crowd of mourners to pay their respects. Among them was Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, honroing Sanders' sacrifice and the profound impact of her loss on the community.
Sanders' funeral starts at 11 a.m. in Waycross as loved ones gather to celebrate her life and honor her memory.
Re-watch the service in the video player below:
Simultaneously, in Savannah, another community gathers to commemorate the life of Sgt. Breonna Moffett. A public memorial held Friday night provided an opportunity for friends, family and fellow service members to come together and share in their grief. Moffett's funeral, also scheduled for 11 a.m. Saturday will be followed by her burial in Mississippi at a later date.
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp was present and spoke at the funeral.
Re-watch the service in the video player below:
The third Georgia soldier killed in the attack, Staff Sergeant William Rivers, was buried on February 13 in Carrolton.
Re-watch the service in the video player below:
What we know about the attack in Jordan
- In addition to the three killed, 34 more servicemembers were wounded: It's unclear at this time how many additional servicemembers who were wounded in the attack might also be from Georgia.
- It occurred at an outpost known as Tower 22: The base is in remote territory in northeast Jordan, near the borders with Syria and Iraq.
- More on Tower 22: From the Associated Press: "The base began as a Jordanian outpost watching the border, then saw an increased U.S. presence there after American forces entered Syria in late 2015. The small installation includes U.S. engineering, aviation, logistics and security troops with about 350 U.S. Army and Air Force personnel deployed there. The base’s location offers a site for American forces to infiltrate and quietly leave Syria. A small American garrison at al-Tanf in Syria is just 20 kilometers (12 miles) north of Tower 22. That base is along a Syrian highway leading into Iraq and ultimately Mosul, once a prominent base of the Islamic State group. It’s also a potential weapons shipment route over the road for Iran."
- An Iran-backed militia is believed to be responsible: Iran funds and arms many loosely organized groups around the region, and the U.S. military has not identified the specific militant group believed to be responsible in this case. CNN reports there are no current indications that Iran had a role in directing this attack.
- The attack occurred when an enemy drone may have been mistaken for a U.S. drone: As the enemy drone was flying in at a low altitude, a U.S. drone was returning to Tower 22, according to a preliminary report cited by two officials, who were not authorized to comment and insisted on anonymity, As a result, there was no effort to shoot down the enemy drone that hit the outpost.
- More on the strike: One of the trailers where troops sleep sustained the brunt of the strike, while surrounding trailers got limited damage from the blast and flying debris. While there are no large air defense systems at Tower 22, the base does have counter-drone systems, such as Coyote drone interceptors. Asked if the failure to shoot down the enemy drone was “human error," Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh responded that the U.S. Central Command was still assessing the matter.
- President Biden has vowed a response: The president said it would come "at a time and in a manner (of) our choosing" but John Kirby with the National Security Council told CNN on Monday, "We don't seek a war with Iran."