Two U.S. soldiers died and a dozen sustained injuries after an Army truck flipped near a training location in Alaska, U.S. Army Alaska said Monday night, according to The New York Times.
A light medium tactical vehicle used to transport troops was ferrying soldiers to a training area near Salcha, Alaska, about 30 miles south of where the troops are based in Fort Wainwright near Fairbanks, U.S. Army Alaska spokesman John Pennell, said, according to the NYT. The driver lost control of the vehicle at about 11 a.m. local time on Monday and flipped it on a dirt road in the Yukon Training Area.
“The entire 11th Airborne Division is in mourning now for these two soldiers, these two young men that we’ve lost,” Pennell said, according to the NYT. “We’re dedicated to ensuring that their families are taken care of and working with those who were injured to get them back on their feet.” (RELATED: Army Orders Stand-Down For All Non-Critical Helicopter Units After Series Of Fatal Crashes)
Seventeen soldiers of the 11th Airborne Division were in the vehicle when the accident occurred, Pennell said. It was traveling with a convoy of other vehicles.
First responders provided on-site, immediate medical treatment and conducted ground and air evacuations, the Army said, according to the NYT. The injured were transported to Fairbanks Memorial Hospital, while two of the more seriously injured were then relocated to Providence Alaska Medical Center in Anchorage.
None had been discharged as of Monday night, the NYT reported, citing the Army.
The Army plans to disclose the identities of the two soldiers who died in the accident 24 hours after notifying relatives, per the standard procedure, according to the NYT.
The cause of the accident remains under investigation, the NYT reported, citing the Army officials.
Our partnership with the @adgpi and other partner militaries throughout the Indo-Pacific, gives us the chance to exchange specialized skills learned from the environments we all thrive in. pic.twitter.com/Zdkd51Ibds
— Eleventh Airborne (@11thAirborneDiv) September 29, 2023
Fort Wainwright has seen several deaths and training accidents in recent years.
In April, two AH-64 Apache helicopters belonging to the 1st Attack Battalion, 25th aviation Regiment at Fort Wainwright collided while flying back to base from a training mission. Three soldiers died and a fourth sustained serious injuries.
U.S. Army Alaska did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.