Lance Corporal Chukwuemeka E. Oforah, 21, fell from the USS Iwo Jima on February 7, 2026, becoming the first American military casualty associated with Operation Southern Spear. He died on February 10, 2026. The incident marked the first publicly documented U.S. service member death in connection with the campaign.
First American Military Casualty Falls from USS Iwo Jima