An Open Letter to Mike Rogers Concerning Treatment of Wounded US Soldiers
Guest Opinion by Lee McInnis, Democratic nominee in Alabama’s 3rd Congressional District
Guest Opinion by Lee McInnis
Sir,
This administration’s performance in the unnecessary war with Iran has been abysmal. The lack of force protection, the constant obfuscation of damage caused by Iranian attacks, the effort to hide the true number of US personnel killed and wounded in the war, and the conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln have made it clear that senior leaders in the Department of Defense are not up to the task.
Throughout all of this, you, as the Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, have remained silent. You now face an issue you cannot morally ignore.
On March 1, Iran launched an attack on US facilities at Port Shuaiba, Kuwait. Six U.S. soldiers were killed, and dozens were wounded, some seriously. Nine of those wounded in the attack have gone on record with the Associated Press to report the horrific treatment they received afterward. The soldiers told AP there was “failure to recognize the seriousness of injuries, a poor plan to get the wounded to hospitals and red tape that has hindered follow-up care.”
These soldiers, some with very serious wounds, received brief medical treatment and were then housed in the homes of U.S. government employees in Kuwait until they were evacuated ten days later. The excuse given for the delay in moving to better US medical facilities was that the Iranian attacks made it too dangerous to get evacuation flights into the region.
The insults to these wounded soldiers did not stop there. When they were evacuated, they were not on a medevac aircraft but were forced to sit on the floor of a cargo flight. In Germany, because they were not coded as combat casualties, they were housed in local barracks and advised to make outpatient appointments for their follow-on care.
One of the wounded soldiers, an Afghanistan veteran, told AP, “Never did I think that if I was wounded, these things would happen… Some sacred trust I thought would never be broken was broken.”
Congressman, I served in Iraq and Afghanistan. We were confident heaven and earth would be moved to get us to the best available medical care if we were wounded. I personally witnessed flights into hostile environments to evacuate wounded troops. The delay in getting these soldiers out of Kuwait was not because aircrews refused to fly into hazardous conditions. This was an abject failure of senior DoD leadership.
You often tout how important you are in Congress. It’s time to prove it. You must call for immediate hearings, question Secretary Hegseth and the Chairman of the JointChiefs, General Caine, and demand answers on why wounded American soldiers were treated in such a horrific manner.
The time has come for you to choose. You can either protect your party or stand with the men and women who have sworn to defend our nation, even at the cost of their lives.
Congressman Rogers, if you see your position as Chairman of the House Armed Services as anything more than a means to funnel billions to the defense contractors who give you millions for your campaigns, you must call for an investigation.
These nine soldiers put their careers on the line so their brothers and sisters would receive better treatment if wounded. You must hold DoD leadership accountable. This happened on your watch. Inaction will not only be a failure to fulfill your constitutional duties, but also a moral failure on your part.
Congressman Rogers, do your job. The defenders of our great nation are depending on you, and we will remember what you do.
Lee McInnis
Source:
Lee McInnis is an Alabama native with 30-plus-years of experience in the U.S. Army and the Defense Intelligence Community. During that time, he held multiple senior leadership jobs, and deployed to Iraq once and Afghanistan twice. He is the Democratic nominee for Alabama’s 3rd Congressional District seat.
For more information on McInnis and his campaign, visit https://leemcinnis4alabama.com.
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