Port Shuaiba: Survivors Say Warnings Were Ignored. The Army Has Finished Its Investigation and Hasn't Released It.
Geopolitics
Port Shuaiba: Survivors Say Warnings Were Ignored. The Army Has Finished Its Investigation and Hasn't Released It.
By Grant Keller | Prodigal Breaking News | prodigalbreakingnews.com
October 5, 2026
More than seven months after an Iranian drone killed six Army Reserve soldiers in Kuwait, an A.P. investigation reports that survivors say commanders were warned. The Army completed its own review in June and has not made it public.
On March 1, 2026, an Iranian drone struck a tactical operations center at Port Shuaiba, Kuwait, killing six soldiers from the Iowa-based 103rd Expeditionary Sustainment Command, an Army Reserve unit, and wounding dozens more. More than seven months later, an investigation by The Associated Press reports that survivors say commanders had been warned the port was vulnerable to drone attack and did not act, and that the Army has finished its own investigation without releasing it.
Who was killed. The six soldiers were Major Cody Khork, 35; Master Sergeant Noah L. Tietjens, 42; Major Jeffrey R. O'Brien, 45; Master Sergeant Nicole M. Amor, 39; Sergeant Declan J. Coady, 20; and Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert Marzan, 54.
What survivors told the A.P. The A.P. interviewed 13 soldiers. They told the news organization that commanders had received intelligence warnings that the port could be hit by low-flying drones, and that higher-ranking personnel dismissed the threat even though the site did not have adequate air defenses. Major Billy Key told the A.P., "Kuwait was in striking distance of low-flying drones." Wounded soldiers also alleged inadequate medical care after evacuation.
What the Army and Pentagon have said. The Army told the A.P. it had not yet briefed families on investigation findings and declined further comment, as did the Pentagon. The Army completed its investigation in June 2026 and has not released the report, citing the need to redact sensitive information. A Pentagon spokesperson has previously rejected descriptions of the structure as "makeshift" and said every possible measure was taken to safeguard troops.
What is not known. The report's findings have not been made public, so the public cannot compare the survivors' account with the Army's. Earlier reporting, including a CBS News account, has also described survivors disputing the Pentagon's account and saying their unit was unprepared; those claims have not been independently tested by the Army's findings because the findings have not been released.
Why the families are asking. Tina Marzan, the widow of Chief Warrant Officer Marzan, said: "We have the right to know what really happened."
This is a developing story. We will update it if the Army releases its report.
Sources: Minnesota Public Radio / Associated Press, "Soldiers and Gold Star families press Army leadership after deadly Iranian drone strike" (Oct 5, 2026); U.S. News & World Report / Associated Press, "Takeaways from AP report on Iranian attack in Kuwait that killed 6 US soldiers and wounded dozens" (Oct 5, 2026), cited by headline; CBS News, "Army survivors of deadly attack in Kuwait dispute Pentagon's account, say unit 'was unprepared' to defend itself," cited by headline; Wikipedia, "2026 Port Shuaiba drone attack" (background and the Pentagon spokesperson's statement).