A brown bear attacked and injured two soldiers from the 11th Airborne Division, known as the Arctic Angels, on April 17 during a land navigation training event at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER) Arctic Valley training area in Anchorage, Alaska. Both soldiers deployed bear spray and are receiving medical care.
Two U.S. Army soldiers from the 11th Airborne Division are recovering after being injured in a brown bear attack during a training exercise in Anchorage, Alaska.
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Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) Regional Supervisor Cyndi Wardlow said the bear spray may have been the deciding factor. “In this case, having bear spray with them in the field may have saved their lives,” Wardlow said.
Lt. Col. Jo Nederhoed, a spokesperson for the division, said both soldiers were receiving appropriate medical care as of April 18. “The safety and well-being of our personnel is our highest priority,” Nederhoed said. “The incident is under investigation, and we are coordinating with local wildlife authorities to ensure the safety of all personnel in the area.” Names and injury specifics are being withheld pending next-of-kin notification.
ADF&G characterized the encounter as a defensive attack by a bear that had recently emerged from its den. Wildlife officers could not locate the animal. Biological samples were collected to confirm species and gender. The area was closed to recreational activity.
This marks the second time land navigation training at JBER has produced bear attack casualties. In May 2022, Staff Sgt. Seth Michael Plant, 30, of the 3rd Battalion, 509th Parachute Infantry Regiment, was killed by a brown bear while marking a land navigation course at the same base.
JBER spans 100 square miles within Anchorage’s municipality, hosting more than 40,000 personnel and an estimated 75 brown bears and up to 350 black bears.
Brown bears account for approximately 96% of bear attack hospitalizations in Alaska.
A study by Alaska’s Section of Epidemiology recorded 68 hospitalizations and 10 fatalities from eight separate bear attacks across the state between 2000 and 2017.
