‘We honor his service and sacrifice’: Soldier with Virginia ties killed during operation in Kuwait
VENN
RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- A man with ties to Spotsylvania County was killed after an Iranian strike in Kuwait, according to Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) and U.S. Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine (Both D-Va.).
On March 5, the Department of War (DOW) announced that Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert M. Marzan, a 54-year-old Army Reserve Soldier of Sacramento, Calif., is believed to be the service member who was killed supporting "Operation Epic Fury," an operation in Kuwait.
According to the department, Marzan was at the scene of the incident on March 1, though officials said the circumstances surrounding the incident are still under review.
Per the Associated Press, he was killed in a drone strike at a command center in Kuwait after the U.S. and Israel launched their military campaign against Iran, during a casualty return.
An Army carry team moves a flag-draped transfer case with the remains of U.S. Army Reserve soldier Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert Marzan, 54, of Sacramento, Calif., who was killed in a drone strike at a command center in Kuwait after the U.S. and Israel launched its military campaign against Iran, during a casualty return, Saturday, March 7, 2026, at Dover Air Force Base, Del. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
An Army carry team moves a flag-draped transfer case with the remains of U.S. Army Reserve soldier Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert Marzan, 54, of Sacramento, Calif., who was killed in a drone strike at a command center in Kuwait after the U.S. and Israel launched its military campaign against Iran, during a casualty return, Saturday, March 7, 2026, at Dover Air Force Base, Del. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
Kaine confirmed in a social post shared on March 5 that Marzan had family connections in Spotsylvania County.
“Virginia mourns the loss of Chief Warrant Officer Three Robert M. Marzan, a tragic casualty of the Iran War,” Kaine wrote in a March 5 social post. “Let’s all pray for his family in Spotsylvania.”
Spanberger also released the following statement:
"My heart is with the family of Chief Warrant Officer Three Robert M. Marzan, a brave American who was killed in Kuwait. Adam and I are praying for his family, friends, and loved ones. As they mourn him, we honor his service and sacrifice."
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Warner echoed Spanberger's sentiments, sharing the following statement:
"My heart is broken for the family of Chief Warrant Officer Three Robert M. Marzan, who tragically died in the ongoing war in the Middle East. I’m thinking of his family here in Virginia, friends, and fellow servicemembers as they mourn his loss."
DOW said positive identification will be completed by a medical examiner. Marzan was assigned to the 103rd Sustainment Command, Des Moines, Iowa, the department said.
