The Question
"Can support-vessel sailors who participated in the immediate USS Cole response be included as claimants if they can document their operational connection, presence, duties, and resulting physical or psychological harm?"
USS Cole Veterans — Legal Intake
Eligibility & Legal Pathway
Support-vessel sailors may qualify. Here's how.
USVSST Fund
The U.S. Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund (est. 2015) compensates those injured or killed in attacks involving state sponsors of terrorism. Funded by seized assets and fines from sanctions violators.
Who May Qualify
Veterans harmed by state-sponsored terrorism attacks who can document:
Sailors aboard USS Cole during the attack
Support-vessel sailors deployed for immediate response (see ships below)
Recovery/damage control teams on scene
Anyone with documented physical or psychological harm from the response
Family members of deceased or injured sailors
Confirmed Response Vessels
• USS Cole (DDG-67)
• USS Tarawa (LHA-1)
• USS Duluth (LPD-6)
• USS Anchorage (LSD-36)
• USS Hawes (FFG-53)
• USS Donald Cook (DDG-75)
• USS Camden (AOE-2)
• USNS Catawba (T-ATF-168)
• USS George Washington (CVN-73)
• USS John F. Kennedy (CV-67)
Plus 13th MEUSOC, BLT 3/1, PHIBRON 5, and Fifth Fleet elements.
What's Required
Court Judgment — Final FSIA judgment against Iran or Sudan. Don't have one? That's what counsel is for.
DD214 — Proof of service and assignment.
VA Disability Rating Letter — Documenting your rating.
Medical Records — Physical or psychological conditions from the response.
Witness Statements — Shipmates who can verify your presence and duties.
Key Judgments
$1.956B
Mann Gunn v. Iran 2024
July 2024, largest Cole-related verdict
$807M
Taitt v. Iran 2023
March 2023
Sudan Settlement
Sudan paid $335 million (2020) as a condition for removal from the State Sponsors of Terrorism list. Separate pathway from the USVSST Fund.
Two Paths
Have a Judgment
File with USVSST before June 1, 2026. Preserve your claim now.
No Judgment Yet
Counsel files FSIA lawsuit against Iran. Get judgment, then file with USVSST in future rounds.