U.S. soldiers wounded in the March 1, 2026, Iranian drone strike at Port Shuaiba, Kuwait, are publicly criticizing the military’s medical response. Survivors report significant delays in care, bureaucratic hurdles, and a failure by commanders to recognize the severity of traumatic brain injuries, while the Pentagon maintains that all medical treatment provided was appropriate.
Soldiers’ Experience After the Port Shuaiba Attack
In the immediate aftermath of the deadly Iranian drone strike on March 1, 2026, service members described a chaotic scene where they were forced to rely on their own training and limited resources. Soldiers, many equipped with tourniquets, treated one another before using Google to navigate to a hospital in Kuwait City, roughly 20 minutes away.
Army Lt. Col. Arturo Lincón, who was approximately 7 feet from the blast, sustained severe shrapnel wounds to his jaw and neck, a ruptured eardrum, and a traumatic brain injury. Despite his critical condition, he described a feeling of abandonment within the military health system upon his return. I was just kind of on my own, at least it felt like that,
Lincón said.
The attack occurred on the second day of the war with Iran at Port Shuaiba, a civilian port and oil refinery in Kuwait where troops were providing logistical support of critical supplies. The strike killed six soldiers who were part of the 103rd Expeditionary Sustainment Command, an Iowa-based Army Reserve unit serving a nine-month deployment under Brig. Gen. Clint Barnes and operating under Hinson’s command. Strategic oversights were evident in the wake of the assault, and leadership failed to treat intelligence regarding the Iranian threat with sufficient gravity. Around ten days after the strike, the wounded soldiers were loaded onto a cargo aircraft on March 10, 2026, after the threat of ongoing missile and drone attacks from Iran rendered evacuation flights too hazardous. Major medical centers closer to Kuwait have been shuttered over the years, such as the Air Force Theater Hospital at Joint Base Balad in Iraq, which was handed over to the Iraqi government in 2011 as part of drawdown efforts. A spokesperson for the Pentagon clarified that the primary objective of Landstuhl in combat injury cases is to stabilize individuals for transport to a U.S. military hospital for advanced treatment, rather than keeping them as inpatients.
Soldiers Report Delayed Brain Injury Diagnoses
The criticisms extend to the military’s management of traumatic brain injuries (TBI). Several soldiers told the Associated Press that their TBIs were not formally diagnosed until they arrived at Fort Hood in Texas, where they underwent the Army’s demobilization process to return deployed troops home. Maj. Stephen Ramsbottom and another officer shared medical records showing they were not diagnosed with TBIs until Fort Hood. Ramsbottom and Maj. Billy Key recalled the drone struck seconds after Maj. Cody Khork passed by them and said “good morning” around 10 a.m., about 20 minutes after the final all-clear was issued, smashing through the operation center’s roof. Key was blasted into a metal cabinet and knocked unconscious. One service member, who was forced off his seat by the explosion, stated that he received no medical attention for weeks following his diagnosis; consequently, he was forced to locate his own specialists, such as a neuro-ophthalmologist to address vision blurring caused by his TBI, rather than depending on the military medical infrastructure.
Nine U.S. service members wounded in the strike spoke on the record to the AP in a rare step for active-duty troops, alongside 13 soldiers interviewed overall, detailing unrecognized injuries, poorly planned evacuations to medical centers, and administrative hurdles that disrupted follow-up care. Army Human Resources Command did not immediately respond to an email from the AP. That’s the only way to look at it at this point.
Pentagon Maintains Medical Response Was Appropriate
The Pentagon maintained that the medical response was appropriate. In a statement regarding the ongoing investigation, the Army stated: 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 Pentagon also declined to comment directly to inquiries.
The broader toll of the conflict has seen 19 U.S. personnel killed, more than 800 wounded, and at least $44 billion spent to wage the fight as the war enters its eighth month. President Donald Trump referred to the conflict as “small potatoes” on September 4, a characterization that troubled family members like Tina Marzan, whose husband served a 36-year military career. Meanwhile, Secretary of State Marco Rubio addressed separate regional developments, stating that the Saudi-backed government in Yemen and the Saudis have a right to defend themselves by hitting back at Iranian-backed Houthi rebels to reclaim territory. Rubio also commented on a Russian health scare tied to a plague institute involving a patient who contracted pneumonia of an “unknown” cause, noting the U.S. is closely watching the case while observing that travel between the U.S. and Russia is very limited.
The Toll on Service Families
The physical and emotional impact of the strike continues to affect the families of those involved. Families of killed soldiers demand answers while the wounded still struggle for medical care. Michelle Tietjens, whose husband Master Sgt. Noah Tietjens was killed alongside Sgt. Declan Coady, Master Sgt. Class Nicole Amor, Maj. Cody Khork, Maj. Jeffrey O’Brien, and Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert Marzan, stated: We’re all really frustrated and upset and mad.
Holly Halbur, living in Ankeny, Iowa, with her children, was initially told by an Army official that her 45-year-old husband, Lt. Col. Tim Halbur, was not seriously injured. When she heard he was wounded, she realized his homecoming would be very different. Now, he often needs her assistance for tasks like changing the lawn mower’s battery or moving heavy objects.
Tina Marzan expressed her dismay over the characterization of the war, saying, I just don’t think it’s right that it’s played down.
A soldier who sustained severe injuries reflected on the breakdown of trust: Some sacred trust that I thought would never be broken was broken.
Additional reporting for this coverage was provided by Associated Press journalists Nicholas Ingram in Ankeny, Iowa, and Thomas Peipert in Colorado Springs, Colorado, alongside Julie Watson in San Diego, Jack Brook in New Orleans, and Konstantin Toropin in Washington.
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