Soldiers Wounded in Iran’s Kuwait Drone Strike Describe Missed Brain Injuries and Monthslong Waits for Military Care

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Their accounts include shrapnel wounds handled as outpatient cases, brain injuries diagnosed weeks late, and a wait of more than four months for MRI results.

The Pentagon has said the medical care was appropriate. The accounts are the soldiers’ own and have not been confirmed by an official review, but they arrive as lawmakers push for public hearings on the attack.

For military families, the concern extends beyond a single base. Blast-related brain injuries can be easy to miss after an attack, and a late diagnosis can delay treatment and benefits.

The strike killed six troops providing logistical support and injured dozens, according to the AP. The soldiers who were killed served with the Army Reserve’s 103rd Sustainment Command, based in Des Moines, Iowa, according to the American Legion, and came from Iowa, California, Florida, Nebraska and Minnesota.

Lt. Col. Arturo Lincón, now an instructor at Fort Leavenworth in Kansas, told the AP that shrapnel damaged an artery in his neck that supplies blood to the brain, putting him at risk of a stroke. He said medical staff in Kuwait told him he had a traumatic brain injury, yet he was not admitted to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany and was sent to nearby Army barracks instead. “I was just kind of on my own, at least it felt like that,” Lincón said. He later spent seven weeks in specialized outpatient care at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Maryland.

Chief Warrant Officer 4 Rodney Bearman told the AP that he and other wounded soldiers arrived in Germany documented as not wounded in combat, which he blamed on a coding error, and were not hospitalized at Landstuhl. Medical records shared with the AP show that Maj. Stephen Ramsbottom and another officer were not diagnosed with brain injuries until they reached Fort Hood in Texas. Ramsbottom said he waited more than four months for his MRI results. “I’ve had to build my own case for everything,” he said.

Maj. Billy Key said he did not get specialized care for his head injury and hearing loss until mid-April. “It took too long,” he said.

In a statement, the Pentagon said all wounded troops who arrive at its medical facilities are evaluated and may be admitted based on the severity of their injuries, according to physicians who follow “healthcare-industry practices.” A Pentagon official told the AP that Landstuhl’s role in battlefield cases is to stabilize patients for transfer to military hospitals in the U.S. The Army declined to comment, saying it had not yet briefed the families of those killed on its investigation into the attack.

On July 30, Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Rep. Pat Ryan led 11 other members of Congress in a letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth about reports that troops with brain injury symptoms went nearly a month without proper care. On Sept. 22, Warren and Ryan led 19 members in urging the Armed Services Committee chairmen to hold public hearings, citing whistleblower reports that some injured soldiers waited months for appointments. They said the Defense Department had not answered the questions in their July letter.

According to the VA’s polytrauma program, a nearby blast that jolts the head can cause a traumatic brain injury, and a mild TBI is also known as a concussion. Related problems can include headaches, sleep problems, trouble remembering or paying attention, dizziness, and mental health conditions such as PTSD or depression.

Dr. James Kelly, an emeritus professor of neurology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and chief medical scientist at the Invisible Wounds Foundation, told the AP that delayed diagnoses are “disappointing but not surprising.” He said the first thorough check should be done by a medically trained person, not simply another soldier. “In a war scenario, it goes on a fair bit,” Kelly said.

The AP linked the gaps to years of U.S. drawdowns in the Middle East, which left the region without any major U.S.-run medical facilities.

Service members who were near a blast and have lingering headaches, dizziness or memory problems can ask a clinician directly about a TBI evaluation and keep copies of their medical records. Severe or rapidly worsening symptoms need urgent care.

The Defense Department’s Traumatic Brain Injury Center of Excellence offers resources for service members and caregivers. Military OneSource can be reached at 800-342-9647, and the Veterans Crisis Line can be reached by dialing 988 and pressing 1. Lincón said his claim for traumatic injury benefits under Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance was denied because his hearing loss did not meet the threshold, although the denial did not address his other injuries. Families facing a similar denial can review the VA’s TSGLI program page for information on appeals.

The Army has not released the results of its investigation into the attack. Until it does, the soldiers’ accounts remain allegations that the Pentagon disputes, and families can keep records, ask about brain injury screening after any blast, and use official support lines.

What happened at Port Shuaiba? An Iranian drone struck Port Shuaiba in Kuwait on March 1, killing six U.S. Army reservists and injuring dozens. The reservists who were killed served with a unit based in Des Moines, Iowa.

What are wounded soldiers alleging? Nine wounded service members told the AP that their injuries were underestimated and that brain injuries were diagnosed weeks late. These claims have not been confirmed by an official review.

How has the Pentagon responded? The Pentagon has said the care was appropriate and that wounded troops are evaluated and admitted based on the severity of their injuries. The Army declined to comment on the AP’s reporting.

What symptoms can signal a blast-related brain injury? The VA lists headaches, sleep problems, trouble focusing or remembering, dizziness, and mental health changes. Severe or worsening symptoms need urgent care.

What can military families do now? Keep medical records, ask clinicians about TBI screening after any blast, and review appeal options if a TSGLI claim is denied.

What happens next? Lawmakers have asked for public hearings, and the Army has not released its investigation. Families of those killed are still waiting for a briefing.