CEDAR CITY, Utah — The soldier and Southern Utah University graduate killed during an attack on his Jordanian base last week was returned to his family during a ceremony attended by President Donald Trump on Wednesday.
1st Lt. Tyler James Feehan was one of three soldiers killed in an attack Friday at the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base. A fourth servicemember was returned to the U.S. after being killed in Iraq.
The president saluted as four transfer cases, including Feehan, were escorted off an airplane during the dignified transfer at Dover Air Force Base. The ritual is one of the most somber duties of a commander-in-chief.
Trump was accompanied by administration officials including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Body of 1st Lt. Tyler James Feehan returned home in video below:
During the ritual, transfer cases draped with the American flag and holding the remains of the fallen soldiers are carried from the military aircraft that transported them to awaiting vehicles to take them to the mortuary facility at the base. There, the service members are prepared for their final resting place.
Feehan's family shared how they remain "shattered" by his death, but proud of his service and the man he was.
"Our hearts are shattered. Tyler James Feehan, our son, our "Tivo," was taken from us far too soon, alongside other American heroes lost or wounded in this same tragic attack," said his parents, Stephen and Shari Feehan, in a statement.
Feehan was born and raised in Utah before moving to Hawaii, according to Hawaii News Now, and joining the Army National Guard in 2019. He then enlisted in the Utah Army National Guard and was commissioned an officer in the U.S. Army.
"As a leader, [Tyler] never wavered in putting his soldiers first," his parents wrote. "He mentored them, shared his love of finance, and pushed the value of education every chance he got. He believed deeply in the power of military service, especially what it builds in a person: discipline, leadership, character.
"Everyone who knew him loved him."
An alumnus of Southern Utah University, having earned a master's degree in interdisciplinary science, Feehan was a current student in the school's MBA program and had planned on attending law school, his family said.
SUU President Mindy Benson said Tuesday that Feehan will posthumously be awarded his MBA degree, which he was weeks away from completing.
To honor Feehan and his service, his family is creating a scholarship in his name "to open doors to education for those who serve or hope to," and has started a GoFundMe page to help raise funds.
In the days after his death, Feehan will also be posthumously promoted to captain and will be awarded the Bronze Star, Purple Heart and Combat Action Badge, Hawaii News Now reported.
"Tyler, we are proud of you beyond words. Devastated, yes, but prouder still," wrote his parents. "No parents could have asked for a better son, and carrying your legacy forward is now our purpose."
