“Head wounds and severe bleeding…”: US forces remember the chaos after the deadly Iranian drone strike on the Kuwait base – The

Survivors of what is being described as the deadliest Iranian attack on US forces since the conflict began have cast doubt on the Pentagon’s version of events. US military officials said their unit in Kuwait was left dangerously exposed when six service members were killed and more than 20 others wounded in a drone strike.

Speaking publicly for the first time, members of the targeted unit gave CBS News a detailed description of the attack and its aftermath. Their statements directly contradict the description given by US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who referred to the incoming drone as a “bomber” that had slipped through the defense layers of a fortified facility.An injured soldier rejected this charge, saying it misrepresented the situation on the ground.“Painting a picture of ‘screaming through him’ is a lie,” one of the injured soldiers told CBS News. “I want people to know that the unit was not prepared to provide any defense for itself. It was not a fortified position.”Despite the extent of the damage, soldiers inside the complex moved quickly to save lives, said the service member, who along with others also said.“I do not believe that the security environment or any leadership decision in any way diminishes their sacrifice or their service,” a member of the Army’s 103rd Sustainment Command said in an interview.

“These soldiers are putting themselves in danger and I am so proud of them, and their families should be proud of them.”These accounts provided the first detailed on-the-ground description of the March 1 attack on a heavily fortified US facility at Shuaiba Port in Kuwait.

Details of the attack: “Everything was shaken”

According to survivors, the attack occurred after a series of escalating alerts in the hours leading up to the attack. A crew of about 60 soldiers had initially taken cover in a cement bunker after receiving missile warnings.

Later, a clear signal allowed them to return to their work space, CNN reported. The facility, which soldiers described as a small logistics center made up of tin structures and concrete barriers, resumed operations shortly before the raid.Then, about 30 minutes later, the drone crash occurred.“Everything was shaken up,” one soldier told CBS News. “This is something like what you see in the movies. Your ears are ringing.”

Everything is mysterious. Your vision is blurry. You are dizzy. “There is dust and smoke everywhere.”He described the serious injuries and chaos in the immediate aftermath.“Head wounds, severe bleeding, a lot of perforated eardrums, and then shrapnel everywhere, so people are bleeding from their stomachs, bleeding from their arms, bleeding from their legs.”During the incident, smoke billowed from the building as the complex caught fire.

The raid resulted in the killing of six American soldiers and the wounding of more than 20 others. Officials described this attack as the deadliest on American forces since 2021.Survivors said the attack was a direct hit on their operations center.Following this, the soldiers began treating the wounded themselves using bandages and makeshift bandages. Some of the injured were transported to hospitals in civilian vehicles, with evacuation teams arriving later.“It was chaos,” said another wounded soldier. “There wasn’t a single line of patients to triage. You’re on one side of the fire or you’re on the other side of the fire.”Another survivor said: “One of the hardest things for me is that I know we haven’t gotten everyone out, so I know that at this point there are still soldiers inside that have not yet been identified and evacuated.”The strike also raised questions about the strategy for deploying US forces in the region during the broader conflict.Weeks before the attack, several US personnel were reportedly repositioned throughout the region to reduce exposure to Iranian missile and drone threats. Soldiers described this as a move to “get off the X”, meaning to leave high-risk areas.However, members of the 103rd Sustainment Command said their unit was transferred to the Shuaiba Port facility, which they described as an old and minimally protected facility.Soldiers said the site relied on concrete barriers designed to fire mortar shells or rockets, not drone airstrikes. One of them described him as having minimal protection.“It’s just a classic, older military base,” one soldier recalled. “Some little barricades. There’s a bunch of little tin buildings where we can set up temporary offices.”“From a bunker standpoint, this is as weak as one can get,” he said.They also said they had concerns about intelligence showing the area may be within range of Iranian strikes, although they said no clear justification had been given for the deployment.