Iowa Guard soldier killed in Syria was Meskwaki police chief’s son

Meskwaki police chief says his son was one of the Iowa Guard members killed in Syria.

by Robin Opsahl, Iowa Capital Dispatch
December 14, 2025

The Meskwaki Nation police chief has identified his son as one of the two Iowa National Guard members killed in Syria Saturday.

The two service members were killed by a lone gunman suspected to be affiliated with ISIS, according to information released Saturday. The identities of the soldiers who died in the attack were not officially released as of Sunday evening, but Iowa Army National Guard officials were expected to officially share more information after next of kin has been notified.

In a social media post late Saturday, Meskwaki Nation Police Chief Jeffrey Bunn wrote that his son, Sgt. Nate Howard, was one of the soldiers killed in the attack.

“My wife Misty and I had that visit from Army Commanders you never want to have,” Bunn wrote. “Our son Nate was one of the Soldiers that paid the ultimate sacrifice for all of us, to keep us all safer. He loved what he was doing and would be the first in and last out, no one left behind. Please pray for our Soldiers all around this cruel world.”

No information has yet been shared about the second soldier or civilian victim of the attack.

Gov. Kim Reynolds and Iowa National Guard Maj. Gen. Stephen Osborn confirmed Saturday the two soldiers killed in the Palmyra, Syria, were in the Iowa National Guard. Three other soldiers were injured in the attack — one of the injuries was “superficial,” Osborn said, while two others were “significant,” and both were stable but in critical condition receiving treatment at the Jordan air base. One civilian, an interpreter who was not from Iowa, was also killed in the attack.

Reynolds asked Iowans during a Saturday news conference to “stand united” in supporting the victims, their families and all National Guard service members, “especially those who served side by side with the soldiers killed and wounded today,” following the attack.

“Everyone who wears the Iowa National Guard uniform — I can tell you firsthand that this is a family,” Reynolds said. “I’ve seen them close up, working together in any number of challenging situations, and they share a deep bond. Today’s attack and the loss of two of their own weighs heavily on everyone at every level, so please keep all of them and your thoughts and prayers.”

The attack, currently under investigation, occurred “as the soldiers were conducting a key leader engagement,” according to Sean Parnell, the U.S. assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs. The soldiers’ mission was in support of ongoing counterterrorism efforts in the area. Osborn said at the Saturday news conference the Iowa National Guard forces in Syria operate as a part of the Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve, an international union led by the U.S. focused on fighting ISIS in the region.

“Our soldiers were doing their job, serving with courage, dedication and professionalism,” Osborn said. “They carried out their mission to the best of their ability, and we are proud of their incredible service and sacrifice, and we will continue to stand strong as a team united in the purpose and resolve their mission.”

There are currently 1,800 Iowa soldiers in the Middle East, Osborn said, deployed in May 2025. Of that group, between 200 and 250 are National Guard members deployed in Syria.

President Donald Trump pledged a strong U.S. response to the ISIS attack in a Truth Social post Saturday mourning the deaths of the three Americans.

“This was an ISIS attack against the U.S., and Syria, in a very dangerous part of Syria, that is not fully controlled by them,” Trump write. “The President of Syria, Ahmed al-Sharaa, is extremely angry and disturbed by this attack. There will be very serious retaliation.”

Other Iowa leaders shared their condolences for the fallen soldiers and their families following the news Saturday. U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst, a veteran who served with the Iowa National Guard, asked Iowans to join her “in praying for the families of these American heroes.”

“Our Iowa National Guard family is hurting as we mourn the loss of two of our own and pray for the recovery of the three soldiers wounded,” Ernst said in a statement. “These soldiers were carrying out a critical mission in combatting the threat of ISIS and keeping our homeland safe from the threat of radical Islamic terror. This tragic attack is a reminder that freedom is not free and that every American owes an enormous debt of gratitude to our brave men and women in uniform who put their lives on the line every day.”

The last death of an Iowa National Guard member in service occurred in 2011 in Afghanistan.

Iowa Democratic Party Chair Rita Hart said the deaths of the Iowa National Guard members was “absolutely shocking news” in a statement Saturday.

“The National Guard represents the best of us – citizens always ready to protect and serve their neighbors,” Hart said. “May the families of these brave Iowa soldiers know that the entire state of Iowa grieves for them and send our sincerest sympathies to them for their unbelievable loss.”

Iowa Capital Dispatch is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Iowa Capital Dispatch maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Kathie Obradovich for questions: [email protected].