Georgia is in mourning after learning that the American reservists killed in a weekend drone attack in the Middle East were three of our very own.
Pentagon officials said that the three soldiers were casualties of an attack by Iranian-linked forces near the border of Jordan and Syria.
They were identified as:
Sgt. William Jerome Rivers, 46, of Carrollton
Spc. Kennedy Ladon Sanders, 24, of Waycross
Spc. Breonna Alexsondria Moffett, 23, of Savannah
They were all stationed at Fort Moore in Columbus (previously known as Fort Benning).
Dozens of others were wounded in Sunday’s attack, with some even suffering brain injuries.
Tributes immediately began pouring in as the news was revealed. Savannah Mayor Van Johnson said that Moffett was a graduate of Windsor Forest High School.
“While we sort out the details of what happened in Jordan, we know who it happened to - HEROES,” Mayor Johnson said. “May we always remember that freedom is not free.”
Gov. Brian Kemp also offered a word of condolences to the families of these of fallen Georgians. “This inexcusable loss of life and the attack from terrorists that resulted in these casualties is a reminder of why we stand with the friends of liberty,” he said in a statement.
Nearly every U.S. congressmember from Georgia has taken to social media or issued statements praising the soldiers as of Tuesday morning, but they have all so far avoided sharing any thoughts on how they believe the U.S. should respond.
“We owe all of these servicemembers our unending gratitude,” said U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock.