House holds moment of silence for service members killed in strike

The House held a moment of silence Tuesday for the three service members who were killed in a drone strike in Jordan over the weekend.

Members of the Georgia delegation led the House in the moment of silence to honor the three service members, who were all assigned to the state’s Fort Moore. Rep. Buddy Carter (R-Ga.) led the lower chamber in recognizing the troops.

“Mr. Speaker, our brave service members put their lives on the line every day and we owe our freedoms and security to them. I ask my colleagues representing the state of Georgia and all those here to join me in a moment of silence in honor of our brave heroes, who made the ultimate sacrifice,” Carter said.

The Pentagon identified Sgt. William Jerome Rivers, 46, of Carrollton, Ga.; Spc. Kennedy Ladon Sanders, 24, of Waycross, Ga.; and Spc. Breonna Alexsondria Moffett, 23, of Savannah, Ga., as the troops killed in the attack Saturday night.

Carter spoke about Moffett and Sanders in his opening remarks, noting that they were both from his congressional district.

“[Moffett] was a native of Savannah. She went to Windsor Forest High School where she was a member of the Mighty Marching Knights drum majors,” Carter said. “Kennedy Landon Sanders was 24 years old and from Waycross. Flags are at half-staff in Waycross and Ware counties in honor of Sanders. Both women were supporting Operation Inherent Resolve during this Jordan deployment.”

Rep. Drew Ferguson (R-Ga.) then spoke about Rivers in his comments on the floor. 

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to one of my constituents, Sergeant William Jerome Rivers of Carrollton, Georgia,” he said. “Originally from New Jersey, he enlisted in the Army, Army Reserves in 2011, moved to the great state of Georgia in 2015. And he loved — he loved the great state of Georgia.”

“He completed a rotation in Iraq in support of Operation Inherent Resolve, was highly decorated. He was a good friend, hard worker, very dedicated. Today we rise to recognize that his sacrifice will never be forgotten. When we rise to say that our deepest prayers and sympathies are with his beloved wife Darlene and his son, William Jr.,” Ferguson continued.

Rep. Mike Collins (R-Ga.) said he was “honored” to join his colleagues from Georgia to honor the service members on the House floor.

“These soldiers faithfully served our country to the very end. May they rest in peace,” Collins wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.

President Biden spoke Tuesday with the families of the three soldiers, saying that he plans to travel to Dover, Del., for the dignified transfer of their remains. Biden also said Tuesday that he has decided how the U.S. will respond to the deadly drone attack, emphasizing that he does not want a larger war in the Middle East. He did not specify what the response would entail.