President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo traveled to Dover Air Force Base on Saturday to greet the bodies of four fallen Americans killed in Syria.
“When I’m going to meet relatives of some of our great, great heroes that have fallen, I think it might be the toughest thing I have to do as president,” Trump told reporters as he prepared to leave the White House. (RELATED: Trump To Receive Bodies Of U.S. Service Members Killed In Syria)
U.S. President Donald Trump exits Air Force One as he arrives at Dover Air Force Base to attend the dignified transfer ceremonies for the remains of four U.S. military members and citizens killed during a recent attack in Syria now being returned to the United States, in Dover, Delaware, U.S., January 19, 2019. REUTERS/Carlos Barria
Once Trump and Pompeo arrived, they attended the dignified transfer of the bodies of the Americans who were killed in a recent attack in Syria. Three of the four fallen Americans were publicly identified by the Pentagon on Friday.
Pentagon identifies 3 Americans killed in Syria blast:
Army Green Beret CW2 Jonathan Farmer, 37, of Boynton Beach, Florida.
Navy Chief Cryptologic Technician (Interpretive) Shannon Kent, 35, of upstate New York.
DIA civilian Scott Wirtz of St. Louis, Missouri.
— Lucas Tomlinson (@LucasFoxNews) January 18, 2019
President Donald Trump salutes as a military honor guard carries the remains of Scott Wirtz, a civilian employee of the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency killed along with three members of the U.S. military during a recent attack in Syria, past during a dignified transfer ceremony at Dover Air Force Base, in Dover, Delaware, U.S., January 19, 2019. REUTERS/Carlos Barria
The Air Force explains the dignified transfer process as follows:
A dignified transfer is the process by which, upon the return from the theater of operations to the United States, the remains of fallen military members are transferred from the aircraft to a waiting vehicle and then to the port mortuary. The dignified transfer is not a ceremony; rather, it is a solemn movement of the transfer case by a carry team of military personnel from the fallen member’s respective service. A dignified transfer is conducted for every U.S. military member who dies in the theater of operation while in the service of their country. A senior ranking officer of the fallen member’s service presides over each dignified transfer.
The casket carrying the remains of Scott Wirtz, a civilian employee of the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency killed along with three members of the U.S. military during a recent attack in Syria, is placed in a military vehicle during a dignified transfer ceremony attended by U.S. President Donald Trump as they are returned to the United States at Dover Air Force Base, in Dover, Delaware, U.S., January 19, 2019. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque
U.S. President Donald Trump follows U.S. military leaders, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and a military honor guard into the back of an Air Force transport plane as they retrieve the remains of Scott Wirtz, a civilian employee of the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency killed along with three members of the U.S. military during a recent attack in Syria, at the start of a dignified transfer ceremony at Dover Air Force Base, in Dover, Delaware, U.S., January 19, 2019. REUTERS/Carlos Barria
U.S. President Donald Trump, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shannahan and other military leaders salute as a military honor guard carries the casket of Scott Wirtz, a civilian employee of the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency killed along with three members of the U.S. military during a recent attack in Syria, past them during a dignified transfer ceremony at Dover Air Force Base, in Dover, Delaware, U.S., January 19, 2019. REUTERS/Carlos Barria
U.S. President Donald Trump walks back to Air Force One with acting Secretary of Defnese Patrick Shanahan after dignified transfer ceremonies for three members of the U.S. military and one civilian employee of the Defense Intelligence Agency killed during a recent attack in Syria, as they prepare to depart Dover Air Force Base, in Dover, Delaware, U.S., January 19, 2019. REUTERS/Carlos Barria
Following the dignified transfer, the president returned to the White House to prepare for his scheduled address. (RELATED: Trump Deal? President Expected To Offer DACA Fix In Exchange For Wall Money)
Trump announced Friday that he planned to make a major announcement regarding border security, and several sources have reported that he plans to offer a DACA fix in exchange for the funding he has requested for a wall/barrier system along the U.S.-Mexico border.