A training accident gone awry was reported on Monday, March 10. A soldier has been reported dead and one injured at the National Training Center at Fort Irwin in California. The accident is currently still under investigation.
21-year-old PFC Justin Candido Kirby was participating in a training exercise on the third day of their training regimen and it involved an M1113 HMMWV performing combat training maneuvers.
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The soldier who was only injured in the maneuver was taken by military helicopter to University Medical Center of Southern Nevada. He was released shortly after being checked and cleared by hospital staff. The soldier’s name has not been released.
PFC Kirby had been assigned to Regimental Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment. They are garrisoned at Fort Irwin.
The fallen soldier is originally from New Bedford, Massachusetts.
He was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident, which very few details have been released due to the impending investigation.
The death of PFC Kirby comes a week after the Army Chief of Staff General James McConville addressed his concern to Congress about the rise in training deaths and accidents involving military personnel.
The Army is said to have lost $362 million in damaged or lost equipment not related to combat, 55 Class A mishaps, 61 Class B mishaps, and 28 soldier casualties in 2019’s fiscal year.
Military personnel are being extremely tight-lipped regarding the accident with PFC Kirby at this time. If more information becomes available, updates will be published.