Congressional Democrats are demanding clarity from the Trump administration over the delayed medical care for U.S. troops injured in a March drone strike in Kuwait. A letter sent on Wednesday by Senator Elizabeth Warren and Representative Pat Ryan outlines 23 questions to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth regarding the incident. The strike, which killed six reservists and wounded dozens, raised concerns about inadequate medical resources at the time and the Pentagon’s handling of injuries afterward.
The March 1 strike on a U.S. logistics hub at port Shuaiba, Kuwait, involved a single Iranian drone that bypassed air defenses. The 103rd sustainment command, based at the location, reported prior requests for more medical staff and supplies, which had been denied. After the attack, no doctor was present, and only one ambulance was available. Some wounded personnel reportedly drove themselves to a hospital in Kuwait City.
Delays in Evacuation and Care
It took nearly nine days before approximately two dozen wounded soldiers were evacuated to the U.S. military hospital in Landstuhl, Germany. According to the lawmakers’ letter, some individuals had not been marked as medical evacuees or as seriously injured in the Defense Department’s casualty-processing system. As a result, they were restricted to limited treatment and had to wait in barracks until admitted.
Further delays occurred for some soldiers who were later transferred to Fort Hood, Texas, where reports indicate they went weeks without being evaluated for potential traumatic brain injuries. Despite multiple failed cognitive tests post-strike, the U.S. Army reportedly downplayed the seriousness of some wounds, according to accounts from family members shared with CBS News.
The lawmakers also question the Pentagon’s official count of U.S. service members killed in the war on Iran. On July 23, the number dropped from 18 to 14. The department attributed this to a data error, but the letter cites reports that four service members—three in Jordan and one in northern Iraq—were excluded because their deaths occurred after Trump’s declared ceasefire in April. Those four deaths, along with over 200 injuries, were later categorized under a new heading, “Overseas Operations,” rather than as part of Operation Epic Fury.
This shift follows an earlier incident in which more than 100 troops injured in Jordan were not publicly acknowledged until journalists raised the issue. Lawmakers also question the independence of the Army’s internal review of the strike. One commander initially assigned an officer under his command to the inquiry, before a senior officer and U.S. Army Central took over. Soldiers involved in the process reportedly felt it was a self-assessment with no real scrutiny, as one described: “We are investigating ourselves and found no wrongdoing.”
The letter is the second in a week from a U.S. senator seeking accountability for the administration’s conduct in the war on Iran. On July 24, Senator Tim Kaine demanded an explanation by August 14 regarding pre-selected target lists used in the war. A February 28 strike on a school in Minab, Iran, killed over 150 civilians, many of them children. Kaine expressed concern over how the school had been included in verified target lists.
The lawmakers accuse the administration of risking lives through what they describe as reckless conduct and inadequate preparation to protect troops and provide care in case of escalation.
The Pentagon has not yet responded to the letter, but the lawmakers insist that the American public deserves transparency and assurances that the military is equipped to protect troops and provide timely care. With the war continuing, they argue that these concerns grow more urgent.