US Army soldiers injured in bear attack during field training in Alaska
BY Herschel Smith
2 hours, 40 minutes ago
During a training exercise in Alaska, two U.S. Army soldiers were attacked by a brown bear, officials said.
The two troops were participating in a “land navigation training event” at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson’s Arctic Valley training area in Anchorage, Lt. Col. Jo Nederhoed, a spokesperson for the 11th Airborne Division, told the Anchorage Daily News.
Wildlife officials from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game told the Anchorage Daily News the incident appeared to have been a defensive attack after the bear recently emerged from its den, and both soldiers were carrying bear spray and used it.
“We hope both individuals have a full and quick recovery, and our thoughts are with them during this time,” Fish and Game Regional Supervisor Cyndi Wardlow told the newspaper.
After the incident, the soldiers were “receiving appropriate medical care” Friday morning. The extent of their injuries is unknown.
“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.”
So, the deployment of bear spray wasn’t a successful tactic. Color me shocked.
I guess the safety and well-being of their personnel isn’t really their highest priority since they weren’t carrying large bore sidearms for bear defense.
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On April 19, 2026 at 8:56 pm, Paul B said:
Dunno but an M4 in 5.56 would have done a better job than bear spray. Just as a what if.
On April 19, 2026 at 9:52 pm, Fred said:
The world’s most advanced fighting force doesn’t use firearms for self-defense in the Alaska bush. Do we laugh or cry or just shake our heads in pity?
On April 19, 2026 at 10:28 pm, Georgiaboy61 said:
@ Fred
Re: “The world’s most advanced fighting force doesn’t use firearms for self-defense in the Alaska bush. Do we laugh or cry or just shake our heads in pity?”
For real, right? It seems that the official mil.gov verbiage post-incident notwithstanding, we have conclusive proof that the high-command is more concerned about the possibly poor optics of having to shoot/kill a bear in self-defense – than the lives of its personnel.
One important question was not answered by the official statement: Are personnel stationed at the base permitted to carry defensive firearms while in the wilderness adjacent to the base? A wilderness known to have one of the highest concentrations of bears in the state, if not the world?
Re: “So, the deployment of bear spray wasn’t a successful tactic. Color me shocked.”
Bear spray – at least the compounds available to the public (i.e., those who are not veterinarians or wild-life professionals such as U.S.F.S. Rangers) – are not potent-enough to be effective anything close to 100% of the time.
Typically, they contain agents such as lachrymators and irritants – which may cause intense discomfort to the eyes and nasal passages (capsaicin, etc.) but which are not truly disabling.
Indeed, whereas ‘pepper spray’ may dissuade a human attacker, they are as likely to enrage a bear, causing it to redouble the intensity of its attack – as to make it break off the attack and flee.
Asking the unarmed/under-armed personnel at the base to conduct exercises right under the noses of so many bears is akin to setting up a bears-only buffet and ringing the dinner bell.
If the head shed is so concerned about each and every airman or soldier being armed, then at least consider the idea of having some heavily-armed MPs along to serve as guards for the rest of the men in the field.
This isn’t rocket science. It is Alaska, where smart people arm themselves appropriately before going outdoors in proximity of the native wildlife.