Army Reserve officer receives Purple Heart for drone attack injuries in opening hours of Operation Epic Fury

Lt. Col. Robert J. Connolly was wounded in a drone attack that killed six U.S. personnel at the start of Operation Epic Fury, and has now received the Purple Heart at a Texas recovery unit. The award formalizes his combat-injury status, underscoring the early lethality of drone threats in the operation. Details of the attack location and broader casualty figures remain undisclosed.