Democrats Demand Pentagon Answers on Wounded Troop Care

Congressional Democrats, led by Senator Elizabeth Warren and Representative Pat Ryan, sent a formal inquiry to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth regarding the treatment of U.S. service members wounded during Operation Epic Fury. The lawmakers are demanding answers to 23 questions concerning a March 1 drone strike on a logistics hub in Shuaiba, Kuwait, which killed six reservists and wounded dozens.

Elizabeth Warren and other lawmakers allege that wounded soldiers encountered critical shortages of medical staff and supplies. The letter claims some soldiers were forced to drive themselves to hospitals, while others waited nine days for evacuation to Germany. Additional reports indicate that soldiers at Fort Hood, Texas, waited weeks without receiving traumatic brain injury diagnoses.

The inquiry also challenges the accuracy of Pentagon casualty reporting, citing a July instance where the official death toll was revised downward from 18 to 14. The lawmakers requested a response by August 12 to determine if the administration of Donald Trump adequately prepared to protect service members during the conflict against Iran. The Department of Defense has declined to comment on the letter.