Sgt. 1st Class Nicole Amor, 39, a mother of two from White Bear Lake, Minnesota, was days away from returning home when a drone strike in Kuwait killed her and five other U.S. service members. Her husband, Joey Amor, recalled the shock and heartbreak: “She was almost home. You don’t go to Kuwait thinking something’s going to happen, and for her to be one of the first – it hurts.”
Amor served with the Army Reserve’s 103rd Sustainment Command, which provides food, fuel, water and ammunition to U.S. troops. She had previously been 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 “M” Device.
A week before the attack, Joey said Nicole had been moved into a shipping container–style building with little protection after forces dispersed to reduce risk. He last spoke with her about two hours before the strike, exchanging messages about long shifts and a minor fall the night before; she never replied that morning.
Outside the military, Nicole loved gardening, making salsa with her teenage son, and rollerblading and biking with her fourth-grade daughter. Joey remembered her generosity: “If you needed anything, she would just take care of it for you. She’s helped a lot of people through a lot of dark times, and brought a lot of light to this world.” He has shared glimpses of their family life on social media, including a November post in which he wrote, “Even while you are on the other side of the world, you found a way to make my birthday special. I love you!”
Nicole’s death comes amid rising tensions in the Middle East following U.S. and Israeli operations targeting Iran-linked forces. The strike also killed Capt. Cody Khork of Florida, Sgt. 1st Class Noah Tietjens of Nebraska, and Sgt. Declan Coady of Iowa, among others. Nicole Amor’s family and community now mourn a loving wife, mother and dedicated soldier whose loss leaves her children and husband to carry on without her presence.
