CENTCOM calls accusations of blatant disregard for troop safety unfounded
U.S. Central CommandU.S. Central Command, written statement from Capt. Tim Hawkins to CBS News
In a May 19 report on soldiers' accounts that a request for more medical support went unmet before the strike, CBS News quoted a written statement from Capt. Tim Hawkins of U.S. Central Command: "No plan is ever perfect, but accusations suggesting blatant disregard for the safety of our forces are unfounded and inaccurate."
“No plan is ever perfect, but accusations suggesting blatant disregard for the safety of our forces are unfounded and inaccurate”
Reporting
Where this statement fits
Did the military fail the troops wounded in the March 1 Iranian drone strike at Port Shuaiba?
On March 1, 2026, an Iranian drone struck a U.S. Army tactical operations center at Port Shuaiba, Kuwait, killing six soldiers of the Army Reserve's 103rd Sustainment Command and wounding dozens more. The next day Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth described the drone as a "squirter" that made its way through air defenses and hit a fortified building. Survivors have since told CBS News and the Associated Press that the post had no defense against drones, that commanders had been warned, and that wounded soldiers waited days to be evacuated, were not recorded as combat wounded on arrival at Landstuhl and waited weeks or months for brain-injury care. The Pentagon says wounded troops are evaluated and may be admitted based on the severity of their injuries, the Army has rejected claims that it downplayed injuries, and the Army has not released its completed investigation. Democratic lawmakers have asked for answers. The dispute is over whether the military failed the troops at Port Shuaiba in how it protected them and how it cared for and documented the wounded.
Source and context
Reporting
About this source
CBS News report on soldiers' accounts that a request for more medical personnel and supplies went unmet before the strike. It quotes a Pentagon spokesperson and a written statement from Capt. Tim Hawkins of U.S. Central Command.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
CBS News reported that soldiers said the unit asked for more medical personnel and supplies weeks before the strike and that the request was ignored. Maj. Stephen Ramsbottom told CBS he believed Master Sgt. Nicole Amor could have survived with a doctor, a fixed aid station or more than one ambulance at the post.
After the quotation
CBS also reported that a Pentagon spokesperson said the department took "extraordinary steps" to protect U.S. troops before and during Operation Epic Fury.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The reference point is whether the military failed the soldiers at Port Shuaiba in protecting them or in caring for the wounded. CENTCOM's statement concedes that "No plan is ever perfect" and rejects only the description of the military's conduct as "blatant disregard" for the troops' safety; it does not address the medical support request or say the protection and care were adequate. That disputes a characterization rather than the underlying account, so we labeled it Challenged the characterization. Denied loses because, unlike the Army's June 24 statement, it does not call the soldiers' account untrue, and Defended or excused loses because it offers no argument that the protection or care was sufficient. Evidence: a written statement quoted by CBS News.
- Recorded on
- Published here
More from this case
Read the full caseArmy declines to comment on soldiers' accounts until families are briefed on investigation findings
United States Army
“Out of respect for the primary next of kin who will be scheduled for briefs on the official findings of the completed investigation, we will not comment on specific details, individual accounts, or leaked portions of the report at this time”Read statement
Tina Marzan says those responsible should be held accountable if someone made a mistake
“If somebody messed up, those people need to be held responsible.”Read statement
Tim Halbur says senior commanders knew the intelligence reports before the move
“Obviously, somewhere at the two-star, three-star level, they knew the intelligence reports”Read statement
Cite this record
- Publisher
- The Dispute Index
- Title
- CENTCOM calls accusations of blatant disregard for troop safety unfounded
- First published
- Last updated
- Permalink
- https://disputeindex.com/events/4863-in-a-may-19-report-on-soldiers-accounts
Last updated marks the most recent saved version of this published statement.
The Dispute Index. "CENTCOM calls accusations of blatant disregard for troop safety unfounded". First published: 2026-10-06. Last updated: 2026-10-06. https://disputeindex.com/events/4863-in-a-may-19-report-on-soldiers-accounts