Wounded troops say U.S. medical response after Iranian drone strike was inadequate

On March 1, an Iranian drone strike at Port Shuaiba in Kuwait killed six logistics troops and wounded dozens, including Lt. Col. Arturo Lincón, whose shrapnel pierced his jaw, neck artery and vertebra. Injured soldiers report that the Army failed to classify their injuries as combat wounds, sending many to barracks for outpatient appointments rather than to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany. They recount long waits for imaging, self-advocacy for specialist referrals, and a lack of pain medication.

A Pentagon official asserts that all wounded are evaluated and admitted based on medical severity, but the soldiers point to a broader decline in U.S.-run medical facilities in the Middle East. Some victims, like Maj. Stephen Ramsbottom and CW4 Rodney Bearman, only received proper diagnoses after weeks at Fort Hood. The case raises questions about the readiness of the military health system to handle severe combat injuries in a region with limited facilities.