CBS News interviewed several dozen members of the 103rd Sustainment Command who survived the March 1, 2026 Iranian drone strike at Port Shuaiba, Kuwait that killed six soldiers. Their accounts flatly contradict Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's claims that defenses were strong and only 'a squirter' got through.
Hegseth had told the press on March 2: “Every once in a while, you might have a squirter that makes its way through.” He called the position “fortified” and praised U.S. air defenders as “incredible.”
Survivors told a different story. On drone defense capability: “I would put it in the 'none' category.” On fortifications: “About as weak as one gets” — a workspace “about the width of three trailers made of wood and tin” with “no defensive cover for attacks from above.” On whether deaths were preventable: “Absolutely, yes.”
Soldiers described being moved closer to Iran, to “a deeply unsafe area that was a known target” without clear justification. When asked why: “I don't think there was a good reason ever articulated.” They received conflicting orders — told to take cover, then given an 'all-clear' before the lethal strike hit. Medical response was described as “chaos” with “no single line of patients to triage.”
One survivor said: “It's not my intent to diminish morale or to disparage the Army, but I do think that telling the truth is important and we're not going to learn from these mistakes if we pretend these mistakes didn't happen.”
All survivors spoke anonymously due to military media restrictions. Retired Major General William Enyart called the lack of foresight “simply appalling.”
The six killed: Maj. Jeffrey R. O'Brien (45, Waukee, IA), Capt. Cody A. Khork (35, Winter Haven, FL), Master Sgt. Nicole M. Amor (39, White Bear Lake, MN), Sgt. 1st Class Noah L. Tietjens (42, Bellevue, NE), Sgt. Declan J. Coady (20, West Des Moines, IA), and Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert M. Marzan (54).