Democratic lawmakers have launched an investigation into whether Pete Hegseth failed to adequately protect service members who were killed at the start of the Iran war.
Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth, New York Rep. Pat Ryan and multiple other Democratic members of the House and Senate have written to the defense secretary demanding answers about the Iranian drone attack that hit the U.S. command center in Port Shuaiba, Kuwait, on March 1.
The strike, on the second day of the conflict, left six U.S. service members dead and more than 30 troops injured. It remains the deadliest attack against the U.S. during the war with Iran, which has dragged on for more than five months and resulted in the deaths of 12 more American service members.
The six soldiers killed were Captain Cody A. Khork, 35, Sergeant First Class Noah L. Teitjens, 42, Sergeant First Class Nicole M. Amor, 39, Sergeant Declan J. Coady, 20, Major Jeffrey O’Brien, 45, and Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert Marzan, 54.
The letter, obtained by The Washington Post, demands answers on whether Hegseth and the Pentagon had put enough protections in place at the base before launching the war on February 28, and whether injured troops received the care they needed following the attack.
“As you and President Trump continue to risk the lives of service members in this reckless war, the American people deserve answers on whether you were adequately prepared to protect service members from Iranian attacks and get them the care they needed, and whether you will be prepared to do so if the war continues and escalates even further,” the letter reads.
The lawmakers cited reports from several outlets that reveal damning allegations surrounding the deadly Iranian drone attack in Kuwait, including that military leaders ignored intelligence indicating Port Shuaiba was a probable Iranian target.
The Army is also alleged to have ignored a request from soldiers for more medical resources and support at Port Shuaiba before the attack on the Kuwait post.
In May, Maj. Stephen Ramsbottom told CBS News that he expected a convoy of aid to help pull survivors from the rubble after the drone strike, only to realize there wasn’t any coming.
“I wanted to see like a line of ambulances coming towards us or something,” Ramsbottom said. “And there wasn’t that. It was like, oh man, we’re on our own.”
Ramsbottom believes that one of those killed in the attack, Master Sgt. Amor, could have survived her injuries had there been enough medical support on site.
Another survivor, Master Sgt. Ann Marie Carrier, said the Army hadn’t planned for a mass-casualty event or run through any possible scenarios before the military operation dubbed Operation Epic Fury was launched.
Elsewhere, troops have also described difficulties getting adequate medical attention for their injuries in the wake of the Port Shuaiba attack, with Hegseth also accused of trying to downplay how many soldiers were seriously wounded.
“The need for this investigation goes beyond the Shuaiba attack—it’s about taking accountability and protecting our service members,” Rep. Ryan, an Army and Iraq War veteran, told The Post. “It’s our job as members of Congress to force [Hegseth] to give us real answers and make sure something like this never happens again.”
A spokesperson for the Pentagon told the Daily Beast: “As with all congressional correspondence, the Department will respond directly to the authors.”
