EL PASO COUNTY, TX. (THECOUNT) — After seeing a number of soldier deaths this month, 11 Fort Bliss Army troops were critically injured after consuming an “unknown substance” on base. The substance was later determined to have been antifreeze, according to officials on Friday.
On Friday, lab assessments revealed the 11 injured troops were poisoned by ethylene glycol – commonly known as antifreeze – after drinking what they believed to be an alcoholic beverage, according to Lt. Col. Allie Payne, spokesperson for the 1st Armored Division and Fort Bliss.
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Fort Bliss first announced the 11 troops were injured in a statement late Thursday, which had said they were injured after “ingesting an unknown substance during a field training exercise.” Two of the 11 troops were listed in critical condition.
The 11 soldiers were identified only as one warrant officer, two noncommissioned officers, and eight enlisted members. All were assigned to the 11th Air Defense Artillery Brigade, 32d Army Air and Missile Defense Command, and on the final day of a 10-day routine training exercise at McGregor Range Complex reported AmericanMilitaryNews.
Col. Shawna Scully, deputy commander for medical services at William Beaumont Army Medical Center (WBAMC), said two soldiers who were initially admitted in critical condition have improved, but remain seriously ill in the intensive care unit at WBAMC.
One soldier had initially arrived at the WBAMC emergency department with symptoms. A second soldier later showed symptoms and went to the emergency department, after which the unit commander required all remaining involved soldiers to be evaluated.
All 11 soldiers remain hospitalized at WBAMC. They have shown notable improvement after receiving antidote treatment in the first 24 hours, Scully said, adding that the antidote involved administering medication to bind the substance.
“In high enough doses, [ethylene glycol] can ultimately lead to organ failure,” Scully said, but noted most mild poisoning have no permanent effects.
An investigation was launched immediately and is still under way.
Maj. Gen. Sean C. Bernabe, senior mission commander of 1st Armored Division at Fort Bliss said, “We took immediate action to treat everyone involved with the best medical care available. Our Leaders are engaged at every level to provide guidance, information, and care for their teammates. Our commitment to our Soldiers and Families remains our number one priority as we work to understand what occurred Jan. 28.”
Fort Bliss, near El Paso, Texas, is the home of the 1st Armored Division, whose subordinate units include four different armored brigade combat teams (ABCTs) – the 1st ABCT “Ready First,” the 2nd ABCT “Iron Brigade,” 3rd ABCT “Bulldog Brigade” and 4th ABCT “Highlanders.” Other units under the 1st Armored Division include the 1st Armored Division Artillery “Iron Steel,” The Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Armored Division “Iron Eagle,” 1st Armored Division Sustainment Brigade “Muleskinner” and the division headquarters battalion “Gladiator.”
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Geo quick facts: El Paso County is the westernmost county in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2010 census, the population was 800,647, making it the sixth-most populous county in the state of Texas. Its seat is the city of El Paso, the sixth-most populous city in Texas and the 22nd-most populous city in the United States – Wikipedia.