Soldier awarded Purple Heart from drone attack in first days of war

An Army reservist injured in an Iranian drone attack on U.S. forces in Kuwait was awarded a Purple Heart. The March 1 attack was the first and deadliest strike on Americans in the war so far, and marked Iran’s first retaliation in the opening days of Operation Epic Fury, launched on Feb. 28.

Army Reserve Lt. Col. Robert J. Connolly received a Purple Heart for wounds he sustained from a one-way drone attack on the attack on U.S. units at the Port of Shuaiba, Kuwait, on March 1. Six Reserve soldiers died in the attack. Army officials said in a release Friday that Connolly received the award Sept. 23 at a ceremony at Fort Bliss, Texas. An Army official said Connolly was currently assigned to the Soldier Recovery Unit at Fort Bliss.

On March 1, 2025, Connolly was deployed to Kuwait in the opening hours of Operation Epic Fury with the 103rd Expeditionary Sustainment Command, an Army Reserve unit.

“While executing his duties, LTC Connolly’s position came under intense direct fire from a one-way unmanned aerial system launched from a concealed enemy position,” according to a booklet handed out at his award ceremony. “Despite the immense danger, LTC Connolly demonstrated unwavering heroism and a steadfast commitment to the mission. It was during this hostile attack that he sustained wounds in action against the enemy.”

Connolly received his Purple Heart award from Lt. Col. Willie C. McRae, commander of the Fort Bliss recovery unit. The unit is one of over a dozen specialized recovery units at bases across the U.S. for troops receiving treatment for “complex” or “high-risk” injuries or health conditions resulting from combat. 

Amabilia Payen, a spokesperson with the William Beaumont Army Medical Center at Fort Bliss, said she could not give specifics on Connolly’s injuries or when he arrived at the SRU because of health privacy laws, but confirmed he was currently assigned to the unit.

“Receiving this award is bittersweet,” Connolly said in the release. “It is impossible to separate this medal from the loss of my teammates. I hold this honor not for myself, but as a commitment to never let their names or sacrifices be forgotten.”

The six soldiers killed in the Kuwait attack were Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert M. Marzan, 54; Maj. Jeffrey R. O’Brien, 45; Capt. Cody A. Khork, 35; Master Sgt. Nicole M. Amor, 39; Sgt. 1st Class Noah L. Tietjens, 42; and Sgt. Declan J. Coady, 20.

According to the booklet, Connolly enlisted in August 2000 in the Army Reserve as a Motor Transport Operator. He was commissioned into the service’s Transportation Corps in August 2003 and most recently served as a logistics management specialist with the 653rd Regional Support Group in Mesa, Arizona. Connolly deployed six times, including to support Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation Inherent Resolve.

The Pentagon has not maintained regular briefings or released information on ongoing U.S. operations against Iran even as the war has tallied tens of billions in costs to bases and U.S. munitions stockpiles. Department of Defense casualty counts and awards related to those combat missions have given some insight into the scale of Iranian military response that the U.S. has endured in its war, now entering its eighth month.

As of Monday, 19 American service members have died, and nearly 861 have been injured, as part of the U.S. war with Iran, according to the Pentagon’s official casualty database. The Pentagon’s count has come under fire for delayed reporting and statistics changing overnight with little-to-no context.

After a recent Bronze Star was awarded to a soldier for the same Kuwait attack, Army officials told Task & Purpose that the service would not release additional details about the incident until the families of soldiers killed in action received the command investigation’s findings.