Months after the devastating March 1 drone strike at Port Shuaiba in Kuwait, multiple U.S. soldiers have broken their silence to claim that the military medical system failed them when they needed it most. The attack, which occurred on the second day of the war with Iran, claimed the lives of six service members and left dozens more wounded. Per the Associated Press, the soldiers’ stories paint a troubling narrative of soldiers forced to navigate their own recovery while grappling with a bureaucracy.
When the drone struck, the soldiers noted that those who were trained in first aid and equipped with tourniquets had to scramble to save one another. According to accounts provided to AP News, there was no comprehensive plan for a mass casualty event. The testimonies claimed that some soldiers had to use Google on their phones to locate the nearest hospital in Kuwait City. They then had to commandeer civilian passenger vans to transport the wounded, as there was no organized medical evacuation ready to respond.
Army Lt. Col. Arturo Lincón told AP News that the strike left him with shrapnel lodged in his jaw, his neck, and near his vertebra, effectively severing an artery. Despite the severity of his injuries and a traumatic brain injury that left him briefly blinded, Lincón was allegedly instructed to coordinate his own care after he was evacuated to Germany.
Soldiers claim that there were many layers of failures
According to AP News, Lincón claimed that the injury to the left vertebral artery, which supplies blood to the brain, wasn’t deemed severe enough. Thus, he wasn’t admitted to the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, a major US military facility. Instead, he was sent to nearby barracks and instructed to schedule his own outpatient appointments.
He claimed that a nurse at the facility even expressed shock that he was still alive, yet he was still expected to manage his own care. He told AP, “I was just kind of on my own, at least it felt like that.”
This sentiment was echoed by Maj. Stephen Ramsbottom, who had shrapnel removed from his head. Ramsbottom told the AP that he waited over four months for his MRI results. He alleged, “I’ve had to build my own case for everything. It’s very frustrating.”
The struggle for care was not limited to these officers. According to the AP, other soldiers alleged similar hurdles, including delays in TBI diagnoses and a lack of support during the demobilization process at Fort Hood. Maj. Billy Key, who suffered a head injury, hearing loss, and lung damage from smoke inhalation, claimed, “It took too long,” regarding the time it took to receive specialized care.
The systemic issues appear to stem from years of disinvestment in the region, which resulted in the closure of major U.S.-run medical facilities. Additionally, AP reported that when the soldiers arrived in Germany, many were allegedly told they would not be hospitalized at Landstuhl because of what they described as a coding error that failed to document their injuries as combat-related.
Chief Warrant Officer 4 Rodney Bearman, a veteran of over three decades, told AP, “Never did I think that if I was wounded that these things would happen. Some sacred trust that I thought would never be broken was broken.”
The outlet noted that these soldiers are not just fighting for their own health. They are also pressing for accountability for the decisions that led them to such an exposed position.
The command post at Port Shuaiba was protected only by a tin roof and lacked the necessary defenses against aerial threats. In earlier interviews with CBS News, soldiers claimed to have raised concerns about safety and a lack of medical resources in the weeks leading up to the attack, only to be told not to worry about protection.
Despite the soldiers’ reports, the Pentagon has maintained that its medical care was appropriate and that all wounded troops are evaluated by physicians following healthcare industry practices. However, they have yet to release any details, and there have been allegations of underreporting.
As these veterans continue to recover, many are left to deal with long-term consequences. Lincón, for instance, still has shrapnel in his back that is too dangerous to remove, and he suffers from chronic dizziness even though he has returned to active duty.
Per AP News, the frustration is shared by the families of those who did not survive. Tina Marzan, whose husband, Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert Marzan, was killed, has been vocal about the need for answers. The Army has completed its investigation, but the report has yet to be released to the public or the Gold Star families.
Published: Oct 6, 2026 10:47 am