HATTIESBURG, MS. (THECOUNT) – Nearly two dozen soldiers were injured during a nighttime airborne training exercise Wednesday at Camp Shelby in Hattiesburg, according to Thursday morning reports.
Camp Shelby commander, Col. Bobby Ginn says the troops were from the 4th Brigade of the 25th Infantry Division stationed at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, when the tragic accident occurred Wednesday night.
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Ginn said the troops were injured when they parachuted from an airplane during a training exercise around 8:30 p.m. He said the soldiers jumped from a C-130 aircraft and wind blew them away from their intended drop zone into a group of pine trees.
John Pennell, Chief of Media Relations for U.S. Army Alaska, said 89 paratroopers were aboard the aircraft for the jump exercise.
Ginn said some of the injured troops were transported by ambulance to the hospital. He also said some of the soldiers had to be rescued after their parachutes became entangled in the trees.
“At this time we’re tracking 22 injuries with 15 treated by medics in the field and seven transported to local hospitals,“ said Pennell, reports WAFB.
Staff Sgt. John Healy, with the 177th Armored Brigade at Camp Shelby, said none of the injuries are life-threatening.
Pennell said 3,000 troops from the 4/25 IBCT are on a special month-long training exercise at Camp Shelby called “Operation Arctic Anvil.” Healy said 650 soldiers were involved in Wednesday night’s exercise.
The Mississippi National Guard released this statement around 12:15 a.m. Thursday:
At 8:00 P.M. this evening the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, United States Army Alaska, conducted an Airborne Operation on Camp Shelby Joint Forces Training Center, Hattiesburg, Miss., with approximately 650 Soldiers jumping in to begin at ten-day training exercise. We are still consolidating Soldiers on the drop zone at this time.
Pennell said it’s too early to speculate on what caused the accident but said a safety investigation is underway and more information will be available once it is complete.
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Geo quick facts: Hattiesburg is a city in the U.S. state of Mississippi, primarily in Forrest County and extending west into Lamar County. The city population was 45,989 at the 2010 census, with an estimated population of 46,805 in 2015. Anchorage, Alaska’s largest city, is in the south-central part of the state on the Cook Inlet. It’s known for its cultural sites, including the Alaska Native Heritage Center, which displays traditional crafts, stages dances, and presents replicas of dwellings from the area’s indigenous groups. The city is also a gateway to nearby wilderness areas and mountains including the Chugach, Kenai and Talkeetna – wikipedia.