Vice President Vance Honors Fallen Soldier Pennington

0:00On March 10, Vice President J.D. Vance stood with the family of Army Sergeant Benjamin Pennington during a dignified transfer at Dover Air Force Base, in Delaware on Monday evening. The 26-year-old from Glendale, Kentucky was the 7th U.S. service member, killed in the ongoing conflict with Iran. His flag-draged transfer case was carried from a military aircraft as Vance and war secretary Pete Heggsef, saluted alongside top military leaders. Pennington died Sunday from wounds suffered in a March 1 attack on Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia. He served with the first-space battalion of the first-space brigade, part of the Army Space and Missile Defense Command, out of four cars in Colorado. His team handled missile warnings, GPS, and satellite communications. People back home remembered him as a quiet, steady guy, who always did what was needed. A local pastor knew him from childhood church programs, while his high school teacher called him the All-American type, smart, likable, and dedicated.

1:00Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear and Hardin County officials shared their heartbreak praising his heroism and lifelong service. Pennington graduated high school in 2017, earned his Eagle's Gowr Rank that August with a project rebuilding baseball dugouts, and enlisted. A month later as a supply specialist, he picked up several medals, including the Army Commandation Medal, and Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, before joining his space unit in June, 2025. The Army will posthumously promote him to Staff Sergeant, honoring his leadership and ultimate sacrifice for the country he loved.