Most families of six US troops killed in Kuwait drone strike to skip White House event
In short
Most families of the six U.S. soldiers killed in the deadliest attack of the Iran war will not attend a White House reception for Gold Star families hosted by President Donald Trump, according to an Associated Press account carried by several U.S. outlets. Only one family member of those killed in the March 1 Iranian drone strike on Port Shuaiba in Kuwait confirmed to the AP that they planned to attend Tuesday's reception. The war, launched Feb. 28, has killed 19 U.S. troops and wounded more than 800 others, and families have said the Pentagon has given them little information about the strike.
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Most families of the six U.S. soldiers killed in the deadliest attack of the Iran war will not attend a White House reception for Gold Star families hosted by President Donald Trump, according to an Associated Press account carried by several U.S. outlets. Only one family member of those killed in the March 1 Iranian drone strike on Port Shuaiba in Kuwait confirmed to the AP that they planned to attend Tuesday's reception with Trump and the first lady. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
The war, launched Feb. 28, has claimed the lives of 19 U.S. troops and wounded more than 800 others, the report said. Troops who survived the attack have raised questions about why they were stationed at a site that did not have sufficient air protection and was viewed as a likely target. [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
Gold Star families have expressed frustration over the lack of information from the Pentagon about the strike in Kuwait. Joey Amor, whose 39-year-old wife, Master Sgt. Nicole M. Amor, was among those killed, said in a public Facebook statement Monday: “There are questions about what happened before the attack, what information was available, what decisions were made, and what happened in the moments leading up to six American soldiers losing their lives.” He added: “I am done asking quietly. Today, I am asking the American people to stand with these six families and demand transparency.” [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
U.S. soldiers wounded in the attack told the AP of unheeded concerns they raised about the threat and said the military medical system failed them in the weeks that followed. The AP's account of the March 1 attack is based on interviews with 13 soldiers. The Army declined to comment on the AP's reporting on the Port Shuaiba strike. [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
The White House said this year's reception honors nearly 40 fallen service members from conflicts dating to the Vietnam War. The annual gathering marks Gold Star Mother's and Family's Day, which falls on the last weekend of September. Trump was expected to deliver remarks, followed by a candle-lighting ceremony and a musical performance that included a rendition of “America the Beautiful.” [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
Why it matters
The White House event goes ahead while most families of the six troops killed in the war's deadliest single attack stay away, and relatives have publicly demanded transparency about what happened before and during the strike. Survivors' accounts of unheeded concerns about air protection and of problems with military medical care, which the Army declined to address, keep scrutiny on the Pentagon's handling of the attack.
Key facts
- Only one family member of the six soldiers killed in the March 1 Iranian drone strike on Port Shuaiba, Kuwait, confirmed to the Associated Press that they planned to attend Tuesday's White House reception with Trump and the first lady. [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- The war, launched Feb. 28, has claimed the lives of 19 U.S. troops and wounded more than 800 others, according to the report. [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- Gold Star families have expressed frustration over the lack of information from the Pentagon about the strike in Kuwait. [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- Troops who survived the attack questioned why they were stationed at a site that did not have sufficient air protection and was viewed as a likely target. [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- The White House said this year's reception honors nearly 40 fallen service members from conflicts dating to the Vietnam War. [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- Trump was expected to deliver remarks, followed by a candle-lighting ceremony and a musical performance that included a rendition of “America the Beautiful.” [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- The Army declined to comment on the AP's reporting on the Port Shuaiba strike. [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Most families of the six soldiers killed in the deadliest attack of the Iran war will not attend the White House reception for Gold Star families hosted by President Donald Trump. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- Only one family member of those killed in the March 1 Iranian drone strike on Port Shuaiba in Kuwait confirmed to the Associated Press that they planned to attend Tuesday's reception with Trump and the first lady. [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- The war, launched Feb. 28, has claimed the lives of 19 U.S. troops and wounded more than 800 others. [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- The White House said this year's reception honors nearly 40 fallen service members from conflicts dating to the Vietnam War. [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
Still unclear
- Why most families of the six killed are not attending the Tuesday reception. The documents confirm only that one family member planned to attend; they do not give reasons for the other families' plans.
- Whether the site at Port Shuaiba had sufficient air protection and why troops were stationed there. These are questions raised by surviving troops in Associated Press interviews; the Army declined to comment, so no official account confirms or answers them.
- What the Pentagon knew and when about the threat before the March 1 strike. Families say information from the Pentagon is lacking and Joey Amor publicly asked for transparency; the documents do not say what information was provided.