- Two U.S. soldiers, Chief Warrant Officer Rodney Bearman and Sergeant First Class Cory Hicks, accuse the Pentagon and Army of downplaying the severity of their injuries sustained in an Iranian drone strike in Kuwait.
- Bearman, who suffered shrapnel wounds, concussion, and other serious injuries, was initially classified as 'not seriously injured,' while Hicks's traumatic brain injury was described as 'minor' to his wife.
- The March 1 drone attack on the Port of Shuaiba base in Kuwait killed six soldiers and injured 20 others, with survivors reporting a lack of medical resources leading to self-triage.
- An Army spokesperson denied the claims, stating that military injury classifications like 'seriously injured' are reserved for those at risk of dying within 72 hours, and asserted the Army does not downplay injuries.
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth previously stated that almost 90 percent of injured servicemembers had only minor injuries and has since avoided questions regarding the soldiers' allegations.
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