Former President Joe Biden’s Pentagon deployed a floating pier off the coast of Gaza for “humanitarian aid” last year. According to a new report, the pier was more of a failure than his administration would publicly admit.
The floating port to aid Hamas-controlled Gaza was estimated to cost $320 million, as The Federalist previously reported, but was fraught with issues from the start. High winds and rough seas soon tore the pier apart — costing $22 million. As for the aid that successfully made it to shore, only some reached its intended destination, as looters ransacked and stole many of the delivery trucks.
Army Sgt. Quandarius Stanley died in October 2024 “after being critically injured” earlier during the mission, dubbed Operation Neptune Solace. The Department of Defense inspector general released a report on May 2, revealing that 62 U.S. personnel were injured over the course of the operation.
After several redacted lines, the report admitted the operation damaged 27 watercraft and pieces of equipment — which required “repair and maintenance” costs of “approximately $31 million.” It pointed to various weaknesses in the military’s “joint logistics over‑the‑shore” (JLOTS) operations.
“[T]he Army and Navy did not meet Service-level standards for equipment and unit readiness, nor did they organize, train, and equip their forces to meet common joint standards,” the report reads. “Insufficient manning, training, and materiel readiness at the Military Service level, coupled with the lack of integration and the interoperability … reduced the DoD’s effectiveness by repeatedly encountering known challenges and inefficiencies in JLOTS operations and exercises, including Operation Neptune Solace in Gaza.”
The inspector general found that planning documents lacked “theater-specific information,” and military planners “did not fully consider mission-specific information requirements.” The report also said the Army and Navy’s equipment was “not interoperable.” It cited a shortage of watercraft, as the Army sold 48 percent of its watercraft in 2018 and 2019.
Ultimately, the inspector general concluded that “the DoD faces potential challenges” conducting these types of missions in “fast-paced, contested, or simultaneous regional or global operations.”
Under Biden’s administration, the military’s operational readiness plummeted. The armed forces embraced diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), as The Federalist previously reported, leaving military training institutions in shambles. And in 2021, Biden withdrew American troops from Afghanistan in one of the most chaotic major events in recent military history — leaving behind citizens and translators and empowering the Taliban with abandoned military equipment.
Under President Donald Trump, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has turned the military on its head — emphasizing high standards and readiness. Earlier this week, he outlined efforts he has already implemented to restore a “warrior ethos” to the armed forces.
“We will defend our country,” Hegseth wrote in a release. “Our standards will be high, uncompromising and clear. The strength of our military is our unity and our shared purpose.”
Logan Washburn is a staff writer covering election integrity. He is a spring 2025 fellow of The College Fix. He graduated from Hillsdale College, served as Christopher Rufo’s editorial assistant, and has bylines in The Wall Street Journal, The Tennessean, and The Daily Caller. Logan is from Central Oregon but now lives in rural Michigan.
