President Donald Trump attended the dignified transfer at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware for the service members who were killed in Kuwait amid the war in Iran.
The transfer on Saturday marked the return home of the first American soldiers killed in the conflict.
"Very sad situation, to greet the families of the heroes coming home from Iran, coming home in a different manner than they thought they'd be coming home. But they're great heroes in our country, and we're going to keep it that way," Trump told Latin American leaders at the "Shield of the Americas" summit in Florida earlier Saturday.
"There's always, when it comes to war, there's always that. But we're going to keep it to a minimum," the president added.
The troops were killed in the opening hours of the conflict last weekend during an Iranian drone attack.
The Pentagon identified the troops as: Sgt. 1st Class Nicole M. Amor, 39, of White Bear Lake, Minnesota; Sgt. Declan J. Coady, 20, of West Des Moines, Iowa; Capt. Cody A. Khork, 35, of Winter Haven, Florida; Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert Marzan, 54, of Sacramento, California; Maj. Jeffrey R. O'Brien, 45, of Indianola, Iowa; and Sgt. 1st Class Noah L. Tietjens, 42, of Bellevue, Nebraska.
The soldiers were assigned to the 103rd Sustainment Command, an Army Reserve unit based in Des Moines, Iowa.
All six died in the same attack at Shuaiba port in Kuwait, a commercial harbor that doubles as a logistics hub for the U.S. military. An additional 18 service members were wounded in the strike.
Trump spoke with the families of the fallen members at the air base before the bodies arrived.
Trump walked out for the dignified transfer with military officers, Vice President JD Vance and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
"It's very sad day, and glad we paid our respects, tough situation, great people, great parents, wives, family and a beautiful ceremony," Trump said to reporters after the transfer.
When asked by a reporter if what he just witnessed at the dignified transfer makes him think differently about going ahead with this war -- or putting troops on the ground in the Middle East -- Trump responded, "We're winning the war by a lot."
He added, "We've decimated their whole evil empire. It'll continue, I'm sure, for a little while."
Trump was asked on the plane if he'd come back to Dover for more dignified transfers.
"Sure, I hate to do it, but it's a part of war," he told reporters.
Families of some of the fallen troops released public statements remembering their loved ones.
The family of Sgt. Coady released a statement following his death, calling him "a rock in all of our lives" and "the most amazing brother and son my family could have asked for."
In a statement, the family of Capt. Khork said his life "was defined by devotion, character, and service," his family said in a statement on Wednesday. "Cody was truly the life of the party, known for his infectious spirit, generous heart, and deep care for those who served alongside him and for everyone blessed to know him."
