03 October 2023 , 03:35
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Two soldiers died and 12 others were injured when a transport vehicle flipped on Monday during a training exercise, according to the U.S. Army Alaska.
Officials say that 17 soldiers were riding in an LMTV transport vehicle when an accident occurred in the Yukon Training Area in the US state of Alaska
The crash is still under investigation and no identification details have been released as officials seek to notify the next-of-kin.
Army spokesperson John Pennell said the vehicle flipped during training exercises for soldiers based at Fort Wainwright in Fairbanks.
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The incident occurred in the Yukon Training Area (Getty Images/imageBROKER RF)Paramedics provided medical treatment to the victims at the scene before the group was transported via ground and air to the Fairbanks Memorial Hospital.
The Alaska State Troopers, North Pole Fire Department and Eielson Air Force Base all assisted in the first response to the accident.
“We’re all grieving and kind of doing what we can to support the families,” Pennell added.
Earlier this year, three soldiers died following a collision between two army helicopters in the US state of Alaska.
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Two of the soldiers sadly died at the scene, with the third dying while on the way to the hospital, in the horror incident on April 27.
Each helicopter was carrying two people at the time of the accident, John Pennell, a spokesman for the US Army Alaska, said.
"This is an incredible loss for these soldiers' families, their fellow soldiers, and for the division," Major General Brian Eifler, commanding general of the 11th Airborne Division, said.
Chief Warrant Officer 3 Christopher Robert Eramo, 39, of Oneonta, New York; Chief Warrant Officer 2 Kyle D. McKenna, 28, of Colorado Springs, Colorado; and Warrant Officer 1 Stewart Duane Wayment, 32, of North Logan, Utah, were killed in the crash, the U.S. Army said Saturday.
Eramo's wife Jennilee Eramo posted a tribute on her Facebook page with a photo of Eramo in his military gear.
The helicopters had been returning to Fort Wainwright from a mission in the Donnelly Training Area when they crashed at 1:39 p.m., about 50 miles east of Healy.
'The move grounds all Army aviators, except those participating in critical missions, until they complete the required training,' the Army said in a statement.
'The battalion is devastated and mourning the loss of three of our best,' said Lt. Col. Matthew C. Carlsen, the 1-25th AB commander. Their loss can't be compared to the suffering felt by the soldiers' families, he said.
'The entire team has come together to focus our thoughts, prayers, and actions to provide and sustain them with whatever comfort and support they need at this time, and I promise that this will continue long into the future,' he said.