WASHINGTON (AP) — As the war with Iran enters its eighth month, U.S. soldiers wounded in its deadliest strike yet on American troops are raising concerns publicly, many for the first time, about whether commanders underestimated the threat. Some of those wounded also said the military medical system failed them.
The Pentagon has released few details about the Iranian drone strike on Port Shuaiba in Kuwait that killed six soldiers on March 1, the day
after the United States and Israel started the war against Iran.
The Associated Press spoke with 13 soldiers, primarily officers, serving in key positions of responsibility there or familiar with high-level briefings. Many said the Pentagon did not take Iranian threats seriously enough as it launched Operation Epic Fury. Some of the wounded soldiers said that since the strike they have faced what they see as inadequate medical care and a military bureaucracy that impeded their benefits.
Several soldiers spoke on the record — rare for troops still in the Army — others on the condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal.
The Army declined to comment on the AP’s reporting on the Port Shuaiba strike, saying it had not yet briefed the families of those killed on the outcome of its investigation into the attack. The Pentagon also declined to comment.
“Out of respect for the primary next of kin who will be scheduled for briefs on the official findings of the completed investigation, we will not comment on specific details, individual accounts, or leaked portions of the report at this time,” the Army said in a statement.
Here are key takeaways from the AP’s reporting:
Battlefield conditions are inherently chaotic and assessments drawn by those involved are often in tension.
Soldiers, including officers in senior positions in the logistics command stationed at Port Shuaiba, said Maj. Gen. John Hinson and Brig. Gen. Clint Barnes chose to move their operations center to the site despite threat assessments showing it was not sufficiently defensible against drone strikes and intelligence reports indicating it was a likely Iranian target. They also said the unit could have done its computer-based jobs from a safer site outside of Kuwait.
Hinson declined to comment on the record for this story. Barnes did not respond to text messages and telephone calls. Neither general was empowered to change anti-air or drone defenses at the site.
Senior leadership believed that at least some soldiers handling logistics needed to remain in Kuwait. Two senior officers, including Lt. Col. Tim Halbur, told the AP that there were communications advantages to being there, so a small crew of about 75 soldiers handling logistics remained, along with dozens of troops from other units.
The three major U.S. military bases in Kuwait had bolstered air protection heading into the war. But the only U.S. air support for Port Shuaiba came from a Patriot anti-missile system in the vicinity of Camp Arifjan that was ill-equipped for shooting down Iranian drones.
While the system is capable of detecting the small aircraft, large numbers of drones are able to quickly deplete a battery, the Patriot missiles cost vastly more than the drones and using the system to down drones then leaves the area vulnerable to far more deadly missile attacks.
Capt. Cody Khork, who oversaw safety for the unit stationed at the port and had strongly advised against going there, said that he felt they should not leave the bunker on the morning of the attack, according to Maj. Stephen Ramsbottom, who was with Khork in the bunker. But higher-ranking officers pushed him to get troops cleared to leave the bunkers, Ramsbottom said.
“We knew we were not safe,” Ramsbottom said. “No one knew the drone situation.”
Minutes after the final all-clear was called, a drone smashed through the roof, killing Khork. He was posthumously promoted to major.
The soldiers based at Port Shuaiba headed into war without having implemented a broad-based plan for a mass casualty event. That's what seven soldiers, including senior officers stationed there, told the AP.
Soldiers who still had their phones intact used Google to locate the nearest medical facilities. The wounded would later recount that their serious injuries were not treated promptly or adequately in the weeks that followed the strike. Army officials said that the medical care was appropriate.
Some wounded soldiers, including those who shared their medical records with the AP, said they were sent to Army barracks in Germany after being flown out of Kuwait and told to set up outpatient appointments instead of being hospitalized at the main U.S. military facility there, Landstuhl Regional Medical Center.
In a statement, the Pentagon said that all wounded troops who arrive at its medical facilities are evaluated and may be admitted based on the severity of the injury according to physicians who follow “healthcare-industry practices.”
Several soldiers said it took weeks before they were diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury and able to start receiving specialized care.
Dr. James Kelly, chief medical scientist at the Invisible Wounds Foundation, which is focused on military brain injuries, said it’s still not uncommon for a TBI diagnosis to take longer than it should, which could impact a soldier getting treatment as early as possible for the best outcome.
The Army completed its investigation of the attack in June, but has yet to release a report due to the need to redact sensitive information, said an official familiar with the Army’s investigation who spoke on condition of anonymity because the report has not been released.
Some Gold Star families said they are frustrated with the lack of transparency from the Army and questioned why their loved ones were sent to a site known to be lacking protection against drone strikes.
“We have the right to know what really happened,” said Tina Marzan, whose husband, Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert Marzan, was killed in the strike. ___
Brook reported from New Orleans, Watson from San Diego, and Bynum from Savannah, Ga.
