Savannah, Ga. (AP) — Spc. Kennedy Sanders and Spc. Breonna Moffett, both known for their cheerfulness, quickly became friends after enlisting in the Army Reserve five years ago. Sgt. William Jerome Rivers, who had previously served in Iraq, later joined the same company of Army engineers. All three soldiers from Georgia died in a drone strike at a U.S. base in Jordan near the Syrian border over the weekend, which also left over 40 others injured. The families of the fallen soldiers were shocked when uniformed military officers arrived at their homes to deliver the tragic news on Sunday. President Joe Biden has promised a U.S. response, but Moffett’s parents hope there will be no escalation of violence leading to more American casualties. Just nine days before her death, Moffett had celebrated her 23rd birthday overseas.”I just hope and pray no other family has to go through this,” said Francine Moffett, the young soldier’s mother, expressing her grief. Breonna Moffitt joined the Army Reserve in 2019 following her high school graduation. In addition to serving in the military, she worked for a home care provider, supporting people with disabilities with tasks like cooking, cleaning, and running errands. When Moffett left for her first overseas deployment with the 718th Engineer Company, 926th Engineer Battalion based at Fort Moore in August, she was the oldest of four siblings. Back home, every morning her 8-year-old sister called her to say hello on the way to school. Sanders, a 24-year-old native of Waycross, volunteered for the Middle East deployment, excited to explore a new part of the world. At home, she coached children’s soccer and basketball teams, worked at a pharmacy, and pursued college courses with the goal of becoming an X-ray technician. Despite this, she had considered becoming a full-time active duty soldier after fulfilling her Army Reserve contract.”She was loved. She didn’t have any enemies. All the time you saw her smiling,” her father Shawn Sanders said. Sgt. Rivers, 46, had significant military experience compared to the two young women. The Defense Department indicated he joined the Army Reserve in New Jersey in 2011 and completed a nine-month tour in Iraq in 2018. He joined the 718th Engineering Company at Fort Moore last year and resided in Carrollton, about 45 miles west of Atlanta.Gov. Brian Kemp of Georgia expressed sorrow for the “inexcusable loss of life” of the three soldiers and stated they “gave the last full measure of devotion in service to this country.” Army Brig. Gen. Todd Lazaroski, commander of the Army Reserve’s 412th Theater Engineer Command, praised them, saying, “They represent the best of America.”Flags were lowered to half-staff in Waycross, Sanders’ hometown. Her parents noted that her unit first deployed to Kuwait before moving to Jordan, located near the U.S. logistics support base along the Syrian border. During her spare time, Sanders enjoyed practicing jiu-jitsu, running to stay fit, and knitting. She also made almost daily calls home. While she occasionally mentioned drones being shot down nearby, there was no immediate sense of danger, according to her mom, Oneida Oliver-Sanders. The day before she died, Sanders spoke about plans to buy a motorcycle, which her mother disapproved of, and also mentioned wanting to purchase a home.”All of these different things that she had plans for, you know, were just cut short in the blink of an eye,” said Oliver-Sanders. “I just feel like somebody like her, that’s so full of life, it’s just unfair that she’ll never get to realize those dreams that she had.”
