Sen. Dave McCormick (R-PA) expressed pride in the young military members involved in the strikes against Iran.

Following Saturday’s Operation Midnight Hammer, which the White House said destroyed three of Iran’s nuclear sites, the Middle Eastern country retaliated against a U.S. base in Qatar. It was later revealed that there were only 44 service members, ranging from 21 to 28 years old, guarding the base, and still, no American fatalities were reported. McCormick reacted to the revelation on Fox News’s America’s Newsroom on Thursday.

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“In some ways, every time I hear something like that, it makes me swell with pride because that’s the America I know. That’s the military I know. It’s the best of the best of us. And yet it doesn’t surprise me because I saw it over and over again,” McCormick said. “These young folks that volunteer … they’re patriots. They are willing to put themselves in harm’s way to defend all that is great about America. You know, the amazing thing about that story is you would find it over and over again across our armed services, and that’s why we’re so lucky as Americans to have that quality of military and leadership.

According to Military OneSource’s most recent report, released in December, on the demographics of the U.S. military, most active duty members are under age 25. Over 42% are either age 25 or younger, while just over a fifth of members are between the ages of 26 and 30.

McCormick, an Army veteran who served for five years, received a Bronze Star for his actions in Operation Desert Storm.

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Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Bahrain, Oman, Morocco, the Palestinian Authority, and the Muslim World League all issued condemnations of the attack. However, most also condemned the U.S. strikes against Iran that happened first.

President Donald Trump brokered a ceasefire deal between Iran and Israel, which first launched strikes at Iranian nuclear sites in Tehran over a week ago. On Monday night, Israel briefly violated the ceasefire, which promised Iran would also violate the agreement, but the two have agreed to stop. Trump admitted he was “not happy with Israel” over the matter.