On October 7th, local time, the American CBS broadcast an exclusive investigative report. Through on-site videos filmed by frontline soldiers and photographs of the damage caused by the conflict, it revealed the details of how Camp Buehring, where U.S. troops were stationed in Kuwait, was heavily bombed by Iran during the early stages of the conflict, forcing the U.S. troops to abandon their base and evacuate.
According to CBS reports, Breen Camp is located about 25 miles from the Iraqi border and has been the main assembly point for US troops deployed across the Middle East for over 20 years.
Sources reveal that on the eve of the war, the Pentagon launched the "Get off the X" plan, aiming to evacuate soldiers from positions that were vulnerable to attack. More than 7,000 officers and soldiers from the Brin Camp were mostly transferred to other locations. However, about 100 soldiers remained in the camp.
A senior Army logistics officer stationed in another location in Kuwait confirmed that the Brin Battalion was facing a shortage of .50 caliber ammunition and other 'high-quality' ammunition, such as those used in the Patriot missile system. This put the soldiers left behind in a very difficult situation, as the isolated base was unable to handle large-scale casualties.
CBS quoted multiple sources saying that as the war began, Iranian attacks continuously threatened Brine Camp. Missiles and drones forced soldiers to take cover in bunkers. Three American soldiers also revealed that Iranian F-5 fighter jets were involved in the attacks. An eyewitness described, “They flew very close to us; I could even see their helmets clearly. As soon as they came over, they attacked, and then flew away.”
"They beat us up terribly," an anonymous source told CBS, "It was so scary. Many brave people stayed fighting there — and the people inside were unaware of what happened. We finally had to abandon the base."
After making the decision to evacuate, the soldiers quickly packed up their equipment and stuffed it into the vehicle. They drove through the night towards the Kuwait desert. These places became forward operating bases (FOBs), where the soldiers would be stationed indefinitely.
In Brin Camp and the desert base, no one was killed by artillery fire, but several people were injured. At the end of April, two soldiers were struck by lightning during a desert sandstorm, one was burned by direct lightning strikes, and another had his eardrum ruptured.
According to CBS reports, before the lightning strike occurred, the US Army leadership tried to withdraw troops from the area, but the actions were not swift enough. In May, soldiers left FOB and moved to Al-Fajjun camp, then to other positions both inside and outside the Middle East.
"Bulin Camp was destroyed," a source said, "they need to investigate. Why weren't reinforcements sent to us in the first place?"
According to reports, the United States Central Command has refused to comment on the relevant disclosures. The Pentagon also has not commented, only reiterating the response given by Defense Secretary Hagel on March 4 regarding the withdrawal of U.S. troops from bases and the implementation of defensive measures. At that time, he said, “As our offensive capabilities increase, we will move the majority of our troops—more than 90% of those stationed at our bases—out of Iran’s firing range.”
Last month, the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Defense released a report on the war against Iran, revealing that “equipment losses” amounted to $3.7 billion, including nearly 60 aircraft. The report also indicated that the U.S. Central Command had reported attacks by Iran against U.S. bases located in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Oman, and Jordan.
