Stephen Ramsbottom is a U.S. Army major who served with the Army Reserve's 103rd Sustainment Command. He is a career soldier with tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to CBS News.
Case
Soldiers wounded in the March 1 Iranian drone strike at Port Shuaiba, Kuwait, say they lacked drone defenses and faced delayed care. Hegseth called the drone a "squirter" that hit a fortified site, and the Army has not released its investigation.
Role at the time: U.S. Army major with the Army Reserve's 103rd Sustainment Command, wounded in the March 1 strike
Response to this claim
Officers told the Associated Press that the generals who moved the unit to Port Shuaiba knew it lacked defenses against drones, and that intelligence officers had warned them it was a likely secondary target for Iran.
“There was nothing that was going to intercept a threat coming at us other than ballistic missiles”
The reference point is whether the military failed the soldiers at Port Shuaiba in protecting them or in caring for the wounded. Ramsbottom says the post had no defense against drones, and in the same AP account he calls the excuse that commanders did not expect a drone attack "preposterous," which asserts a failure of protection. The closest competing label is Challenged the characterization, but he goes beyond disputing a description and criticizes the preparation itself. Evidence: direct quotations in an Associated Press report.
Statement dates: October 5, 2026
Statement dates: October 5, 2026
