Joe Biden's decision (or was it the autopen's decision?) to build an improvised pier to shuttle supplies to Gaza - effectively supplying Hamas  - was a stupid idea to begin with. It was an attempt to curry favor with anti-Israel elements in the Democratic party, in American academia, and the international community by appearing to look even-handed; it was intended to succor innocent Gazans, although we saw time and again how aid intended for Gazans was confiscated by Hamas.

Now we learn that more than 60 American service members were injured in the building of this boondoggle.

More than 60 service members were injured as a part of former President Joe Biden's floating aid pier in Gaza, a Pentagon Inspector General report published on Tuesday said, a number significantly higher than had been previously disclosed.

The pier, announced by Biden during a televised address to Congress in March 2024, was a massive endeavor that took about 1,000 U.S. forces to execute.

But bad weather and distribution challenges inside Gaza limited the effectiveness of what the U.S. military says was its biggest aid delivery effort ever in the Middle East. The pier was only operational for about 20 days and cost about $230 million.

While there were no deaths or known direct attacks on the pier, the Pentagon had said three U.S. troops suffered non-combat injuries in support of the pier in May, with one medically evacuated in critical condition.

But the new report by the Pentagon Inspector General said that the number was actually 62.

"Based on the information provided, we were not able to determine which of these 62 injuries occurred during the performance of duties or resulted off duty or from pre-existing medical conditions," the report said.

The report of "no deaths" is incorrect. There was one; US Army Sergeant Quandarius Stanley was injured while working on the pier and later died of his injuries.

A 23-year-old Army sergeant who served on the temporary Gaza pier mission earlier this year died last week from injuries sustained in non-combat duties during the mission.

A spokesperson with 3rd Expeditionary Sustainment Command at Fort Liberty, North Carolina, confirmed the Oct. 31 death of Sgt. Quandarius Stanley from his injuries.

Stanley was critically injured in May when high winds and heavy seas damaged the pier, causing four Army vessels to become beached, The Associated Press reported. Two other service members also were injured but later returned to duty.

This was a stupid idea, done for stupid reasons.

And this is also just another example of "what a difference a president makes." Donald Trump can be mercurial, he occasionally starts speaking without thinking first, he can be prickly, and he loves trolling the left and the legacy media (but I repeat myself). But he is unambiguously the man in charge, unlike the presidency of Joe Biden, when nobody was sure who was in charge.

So far, at least, there have been no stupid boondoggles like the idiotic Gaza pier.

It's a tragedy that so many American servicemen were hurt building this ill-advised thing. It's more of a shame that no good came from it.

See Also: Pier Pressure: Biden's $230M Gaza Boondoggle Could Be Scuttled As Soon As July

Biden’s Metaphor - Media Downplay Gaza Pier Failure As Outlets Continue Propping Up President

Famous CNN Lib owner Scott Jennings weighed in on X:

One of the biggest Biden embarrassments - the half baked Gaza Aid Pier. $230 million. 20 days in use. And now we find out it injured 60+ US soldiers. All to placate terrorists & their sympathizers in the Democratic Party. Insane scandal. @reuters 👇 pic.twitter.com/cLb0RKhrct

— Scott Jennings (@ScottJenningsKY) May 7, 2025

I couldn't possibly phrase it any better than that.

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