U.S. service members spoke to CBS News’ Jonah Kaplan about the deadly Iranian drone strike in Kuwait and recalled the moment an explosion hit the unit and the chaotic, grisly aftermath.
The attack occurred on the first day of hostilities when an Iranian drone struck the American command post at the Port of Shuaiba, killing six U.S. service members and injuring many more. For the first time, CBS News obtained video from the aftermath. One surviving soldier — speaking without the military’s permission, with his identity obscured and voice altered — described the blast and the struggle to get care.
He said the explosion knocked him down. “Everything shook…your ears are ringing. Everything’s fuzzy. Your vision is blurry. You’re dizzy. There’s dust and smoke everywhere.” He grabbed his helmet, checked himself, then turned to his teammates. The first person he found had a head and neck injury; training cautions against moving such casualties, but flames and the risk of follow‑on strikes forced urgent decisions. “You think through all those little things and small decisions,” he said.
Medical help at Shuaiba was limited, he said. The soldiers treated and evacuated themselves, driving to a hospital to get care. Some injuries were immediate and severe: heavy bleeding, head wounds, shrapnel, perforated eardrums, loss of hearing, blown‑off glasses, loss of sight in an eye, and balance problems. He described abdominal, arm and leg wounds and said the blast’s concussive force left some with internal injuries even without external bleeding.
He singled out a colleague, Sergeant Amor, who had no visible shrapnel but was severely wounded by the blast’s force: both eyes black and blue, gasping for air, “her lungs are filling with blood,” he said, adding that he was not a doctor but that it was clear she needed urgent help.
The survivor said he still sees the faces of those they lost — people he helped carry to identification and to where they were pronounced dead. “I still see their faces…you identify their body. You helped carry them. They’re gone,” he said.
He praised junior soldiers who “just came to life” after the strike, helping carry the wounded and evacuate peers. “There are some real heroes at the Port of Shuaiba,” he said.
The Pentagon declined to comment on the soldier’s claims, citing an active investigation. The Defense Department has previously said every possible measure had been taken to safeguard U.S. troops. The injured soldiers have been evacuated back to the U.S.; some are dealing with injuries that may be lifelong.