FORT LEWIS – A U.S. Army soldier was killed and a second soldier injured in a training accident at Arizona’s Yuma Proving Ground, the Army said Wednesday.
The incident at 8:30 p.m. Tuesday happened during practice at a firing range with live ammunition. Soldiers were shooting light machine guns – M-249 squad automatic weapons – at targets, said Fort Lewis spokeswoman Tammy Reed.
She said she did not have any other details to share about the accident, which was still being investigated, and couldn’t say if the weapon malfunctioned.
The injured soldier was taken to Yuma Regional Medical Center by helicopter for treatment. His injuries are not life-threatening, Reed said.
Both soldiers were assigned to 4th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, a Stryker Brigade combat team assigned to Fort Lewis. The unit of active duty soldiers had been training at the proving ground since last week and was scheduled to return to Washington in a few weeks. The 4th Brigade is scheduled to go to Iraq sometime next year.
The Army will not release the names of the two soldiers until their next of kin has been notified, Reed said.
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