U.S. Soldiers Allege Negligence After Iranian Drone Strike in Kuwait
Wounded U.S. soldiers and families accuse the Army of ignoring intelligence warnings and failing to provide adequate medical care following a March 1 drone strike.
Survivors and families of U.S. soldiers killed or wounded in a March 1 Iranian drone strike at Port Shuaiba, Kuwait, are accusing the United States Army of systemic negligence. The attack, which occurred shortly after the start of Operation Epic Fury and followed U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, killed six troops and injured dozens more.
Soldiers allege that leadership, including Major Gen. John Hinson and Brig. Gen. Clint Barnes, ignored intelligence warnings about the facility's vulnerability and lacked adequate air defenses. Survivors claim commanders pressured troops to leave bunkers shortly before the strike. Following the attack, wounded service members report a chaotic evacuation process where coding errors sent some to barracks instead of hospitals. Many allege the military failed to recognize traumatic brain injuries, forcing some to self-diagnose and seek their own specialists.
While the Pentagon maintains that medical care was appropriate, families of the deceased, including members of the 103rd Expeditionary Sustainment Command, express anger over a lack of transparency. The Army completed an investigation in June but has not released the full report. Tensions have been further strained by President Donald Trump, who described the conflict as "small potatoes" in September, a comment criticized by the widow of Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert Marzan.
