Sgt. 1st Class Nicole Amor, 39, a mother of two from White Bear Lake, Minnesota, was killed in Kuwait by a drone strike days before she was due to return home, military officials said. The attack also claimed the lives of five other U.S. service members.
Amor served with the Army Reserve’s 103rd Sustainment Command, a unit that supplies food, fuel, water and ammunition to U.S. forces. She had previously deployed to Kuwait and Iraq in 2019 and transferred from the National Guard to the Army Reserve in 2006. Her decorations included the Army Commendation Medal and the Armed Forces Reserve Medal with the “M” device.
Her husband, Joey Amor, said the family was devastated. He recalled that Nicole had been moved about a week before the strike into a shipping container–style building that lacked protective defenses after units dispersed amid fears of an attack on the base. Joey said he last spoke with her about two hours before the strike; they had messaged about long shifts and a minor fall she’d had the night before, and she did not reply that morning.
Outside of the military, Amor enjoyed gardening, making salsa with her teenage son, and rollerblading and biking with their younger daughter. Her husband remembered her as generous and someone who helped others through difficult times, bringing light to those around her.
The deaths occurred amid rising tensions in the Middle East following operations involving the U.S. and Israel against Iran. Among the other service members killed were Capt. Cody Khork of Florida, Sgt. 1st Class Noah Tietjens of Nebraska, and Sgt. Declan Coady of Iowa.
Joey Amor has shared memories of their life together on social media, including messages about special moments she created even while deployed. Family, friends and the White Bear Lake community are mourning her loss and adjusting to life without her presence.