Soldier dies in training accident at Ft Chaffee Arkansas

http://www.katv.com/news/stories/0703/93582.html ^

[Kewlhand`tek]

Military officials are not releasing much information about the shooting. The only say that the victim was male, in his twenties, and that he died en route to a local hospital. The training exercise was being held near the community of booker, on Fort Chaffee land. A spokesman says his unit was on a range, performing an exercise with a lot of maneuvering, with what are called night shoots.

[OldFriend]

Live fire training accidents are not uncommong. Prayers for his family.

[ExSoldier]

Nighttime live fire mishaps are not that unusual. There were several while I was stationed at Fort Lewis in the 1980's. It's a dangerous line of work, although sympathies are extended to the family.

[BagCamAddict]

There are approx. 150,000 of our troops in Iraq. And slightly less than one a day is dying - from hostile or non-hostile causes. That's a death rate of less than 0.0006% - including traffic accidents, training accidents, natural causes, AND KIA. I wonder what the stateside death rate is for our military personnel. I wonder if it more or less "deadly" in Iraq right now than it is here in the states for our military personnel.

Does anyone have any idea? (I'll thank you in advance, since I'm heading out to go camping for a week and I won't be back to reply to anything until then.)

[BagCamAddict]

From AP article:

FORT SMITH, Ark. July 4 —

A Navy SEAL was hit and killed by live ammunition during an exercise at Fort Chaffee, military officials said Friday.

The serviceman was hit at about 11:30 p.m. Thursday and died en route to a hospital. His name was not released, but officials said he was in his early 20s and was from a unit stationed in Virginia Beach, Va.

Training at the base has been suspended while the accident is investigated, according to Michael Hardy with the Military Police at the post.

"We're always saddened when any member of the military is (killed) in the line of duty," Hardy said.

The Fort Chaffee Army post is just east of the city of Fort Smith in western Arkansas.

[BagCamAddict]

Here's the full article, which is not restricted as far as excerpting:

Serviceman Dies in a Shooting Accident in Fort Smith

Friday July 04, 2003

Fort Smith - A tragic fourth of July at Fort Chaffee in Fort Smith. An active duty soldier is dead after being shot during a live ammunition exercise. The accident happened just before midnight Thursday night. Channel Seven's Scott Inman has the story.

Military officials are not releasing much information about the shooting. The only say that the victim was male, in his twenties, and that he died en route to a local hospital. The training exercise was being held near the community of booker, on Fort Chaffee land. A spokesman says his unit was on a range, performing an exercise with a lot of maneuvering, with what are called night shoots.

"We try to keep a safe environment here. Of course, training for the military is hazardous.. It's unfortunate that things like this happen."

Chief Hardy says it's the first time in three years a soldier has been killed in an accident at Fort Chaffee. He says the soldier's name, his unit, and his hometown will all be released after his family is notified.

[John H K]

Live fire exercises end up saving lives in combat. Particularly for Special Forces like SEALs.

It's a harsh, callous, and unforgiving calculus but your training has to be realistic enough to accidentally kill people every once in a while to avoid large numbers of deaths in real combat.

[steplock]

"A Navy SEAL"

At Ft Chafee?? Interesting! no? ;>)

[SLB]

What is interesting about a SEAL being at Ft Chaffee? Ft Knox has a permanent Navy presence. The reason? Simple the Salt River a major tributary for the Ohio River runs through the impact area. The SEAL teams can do live fire from their various watercraft towards either shore. I would imgine the unique training opportunities at Ft Chaffee would lead SEAL teams to want to be there.

[ExSoldier]

"Live fire exercises end up saving lives in combat. Particularly for Special Forces like SEALs."

Live fire exercises are critical for anybody in the combat arms branches, not just the SpecOps crowd. I have done such live fires in both infantry and armor. While I was in armor, there were a number of accidents and a few of those proved fatal. Bad enough you've got 72 ton vehicles thundering around at fairly high speed (when you hit something and you're buttoned up, you barely notice the "bump") but there's also live ordinance going off...sure it can get real hairy real fast if the command and control elements aren't on top of the situation.

The bottom line remains: You will react in combat exactly as you have trained.

[razorback-bert]

ping

[Archangelsk]

What is interesting about a SEAL being at Ft Chaffee?

Nothing considering they blew up the NBC chamber at Ft. Eustis awhile ago (dang nabbit, stay in Little Creek where you belong).

[Travis McGee]

SEALs push live fire to the REALLY hairy edges. If their parents and wives knew, they would not sleep at night.

It's one of the many reasons they are so awesome in combat. They have the skill and confidence to to fire an manuever like you would not believe.

What is amazing is that SEALs are not shot in training more often, which is a testament to their brains, nerves and accuracy.

[Travis McGee]

Bingo.

[drgnfly]

Exactly. My brother is a SEAL and although his profession and extreme training worry me, I am thankful for that intense training. It insures that my brother will keep his skills honed, get his job accomplished swiftly and accurately and come home to us.

I pray for the family of the SEAL that was killed. He was of a rare and special breed....US Navy SEAL.

[Travis McGee]

It was always true that seals are so awesome in war because they train so hard and so realistically. That kind of training once in a great while results in injury or death. It's even amazing that they don't lose more in training. Folks would have heart attacks if they saw some training evolutions.