An American soldier, Sgt. Quandarius Stanley, tragically passed away after sustaining critical injuries while working on an American-built pier to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza. The incident occurred in May when high winds and heavy seas damaged the pier, causing four Army vessels to become beached. Stanley, a 23-year-old motor transport operator, was one of three service members injured in the accident. While the details of his injuries have not been disclosed, it was clarified that they did not occur in combat.
Sgt. Stanley was assigned to the 7th Transportation Brigade Expeditionary at Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Virginia. Col. John “Eddie” Gray, the brigade commander, praised Stanley as an instrumental and respected leader during the mission to provide aid to Gaza. The entire unit mourns his loss and continues to support his family during this difficult time.
Following the unfortunate incident, Stanley had been receiving treatment at a long-term care medical center before his passing. The pier project, aimed at delivering humanitarian assistance to Gaza, faced challenges such as bad weather, security issues, and safety concerns involving Israeli forces. These factors led aid agencies to temporarily halt the distribution of supplies due to safety risks.
The Defense Department officially withdrew the pier from the Gaza shore on June 28, marking the conclusion of the mission to provide aid to the region affected by the conflict between Israel and Hamas. Despite the obstacles, nearly 20 million pounds of aid were successfully transported to Gaza, making it the largest volume of humanitarian assistance ever delivered to the Middle East.
However, aid agencies encountered difficulties in distributing the supplies to the most affected areas within Gaza due to security threats. Humanitarian convoys faced attacks, hindering the movement of essential food supplies to those in need.
