OAN Staff Sophia Flores
11:07 AM – Monday, March 9, 2026
The United States Department of War has identified a seventh soldier who has died since the commencement of Operation Epic Fury, the U.S.-led military campaign targeting Iran to dismantle its security infrastructure, including command centers, air defenses and naval assets.
On Sunday, Sgt. Benjamin N. Pennington, 26, of Glendale, Kentucky, reportedly died from injuries he sustained during an enemy attack on March 1, 2026, at the Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia.
Pennington had been assigned to 1st Space Battalion, 1st Space Brigade, at Fort Carson, Colorado. He enlisted in the Army as a 92Y, unit supply specialist, in 2017.
During his time in service, he received multiple awards — including three Army Commendation Medals and a Global War on Terrorism Service Medal.
The Army’s Space Brigade, which is stationed across six countries around the world, supports the military’s capabilities in missile warning, GPS tracking, and long-range satellite communications for troops.
The other six U.S. service members who died during Operation Epic Fury were killed after an Iranian drone struck a tactical operations center at Port Shuaiba in Kuwait.
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