Survivors of the Attack in Kuwait: Generals Ignored Warnings

According to an in-depth investigation by the The Washington Post, survivors of the devastating drone attack on March 1st at the port of Shuaiba (Kuwait) report serious negligence by the military leadership. The soldiers claim that the top brass ignored intelligence warnings and abandoned the troops in the chaos following the impact.

The attack, which occurred during the early days of the conflict between the United States and Iran (dubbed Operation Epic Fury), claimed the lives of six soldiers from the 103rd Sustainment Command of the U.S. Army, also causing over 30 injuries.

The Attack and Leadership Actions

On March 1st, an Iranian Shahed suicide drone struck the base's operations center. The testimonies collected by the newspaper paint a dramatic picture, pointing the finger at two high-ranking officers: Brigadier General Clint Barnes and Major General John Hinson.

• Escape from the operations center: Eyewitnesses report that, seconds after the impact, Gen. Barnes fled to a protective bunker, ordering a soldier to follow him, leaving dozens of men and women in the chaos of the burning building.
• Lack of assistance: Survivors claim they did not see either Barnes or Hinson assisting in rescue and recovery operations for the wounded.
• Pressure to return: Before the fatal blow, the troops had spent hours in bunkers due to continuous alarms (the "Big Voice" system). The soldiers allege that the leadership, including Barnes and Sergeant Major Javier Camposano Jr., pressured for the "all clear" signal to be issued to get the troops back to work. The drone struck about 30 minutes after the authorization to return.

Unheeded Warnings and Vulnerabilities

The testimonies reported by the Washington Post indicate that the transfer of troops to the port of Shuaiba was strongly advised against due to severe defensive shortcomings, known to the leadership since December.

• Lack of anti-drone defenses: The base lacked systems capable of shooting down Shahed attack drones. A request for the deployment of the EAGLS defense system was rejected due to "lack of resources".
• Nonexistent cover: There was no aerial cover to hide or protect the troops from surveillance and attacks from above, contravening the Army's own guidelines.
• Disarmament: The unit was sent to Shuaiba without unit or automatic weapons, which remained in the armory at Camp Arifjan.
• Known target: Despite intelligence reports indicating Shuaiba as a likely Iranian target in case of escalation, the transfer order was maintained.

The Failure of the Medical System

In addition to the trauma of the attack, wounded soldiers reported serious inefficiencies in the evacuation and medical care system.

Once evacuated to Germany at the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center (one of the main military hospitals), the wounded discovered that the medical staff had not been informed of their arrival. Since they were not listed on flight manifests as medical evacuations nor registered in the casualty database, the hospital could not formally admit them. Soldiers with shrapnel wounds and broken bones were treated as outpatients and sent to barracks awaiting a flight to the United States.

The Ongoing Investigation

Survivors harbor deep doubts about the ongoing military investigation, fearing that no one will be held accountable.

Initially entrusted to an officer subordinate to Hinson (raising suspicion of "an investigation into themselves"), the inquiry was later passed to higher-ranking officers. However, sources close to the investigation confirmed to the Washington Post that the current report does not foresee punitive actions nor assigns specific blame for the attack or the emergency management. The Army, for its part, defended the generals' actions, stating that they assisted in the early stages of evacuation before being rescued themselves for injuries sustained.

The Victims of the Shuaiba Attack

The Washington Post honored the memory of the six military personnel who fell during the March 1st attack: