22 Soldiers from the 228th Combat Support Hospital, a U.S. Army Reserve unit from San Antonio, were injured late Wednesday night after the rotor wash from a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter caused a tent to collapse. The pilot was attempting to land at a remote training site at Fort Hunter Liggett, California.
According to a report from USA Today, the accident occurred around 9:30 p.m. Pacific time. 18 of the 22 soldiers were treated on scene and four were evacuated to nearby hospitals for further treatment but have since been released back to their unit. Officials from Fort Hunter Liggett stated that the 228th Combat Support Hospital is currently taking part in the Global Medic Combat Support Training Exercise.
The 228th Combat Support Hospital engaged in the Global Medic Combat Support Training Exercise at Fort Hunter Liggett, was the unit involved in last night’s incident involving the rotor wash from a helicopter. The 228th is out of San Antonio, Texas. 1/2
— Fort Hunter Liggett (@FtHunterLiggett) July 19, 2018
The 22 injured Soldiers were in two tents used for sleeping. They have all been treated and released back to their units at Fort Hunter Liggett. We will post the video of this morning’s press conference shortly. 2/2
— Fort Hunter Liggett (@FtHunterLiggett) July 19, 2018
This latest incident is one of several aviation mishaps that have plagued the U.S. Armed Forces this year. In June of this year Navy Lt. Christopher Carey Short was killed when his A-29 Super Tucano light-attack aircraft crashed near the Army’s White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. A month earlier in May, several servicemembers were killed when a Puerto Rico Air National Guard C-130 Hercules crashed near Savannah, Georgia.