Americas

Americas

Military training exercise kills one US soldier, injures seven others

23 February 2014 03:04 (UTC +04:00)

The incident took place at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, the Army said.

The 22-year-old Pfc. James Groth of Washington was killed when the soldiers conducted an artillery live-fire training with a M777 light and towed howitzer weapon.

"We have suffered a great loss in the 18th Fires Brigade and express our deepest condolences. Those that have been affected by this tragic incident remain in our thoughts and prayers," said Col. Stephen G. Smith, Commander, 18th Fires Brigade.

Two of the injured troops were seriously wounded and taken to nearby hospitals.

Spc. Scott Yeates, 30, remains at Womack Army Medical Center and Sgt. Jason Muzzy, 25, is in critical but stable condition at Duke University Medical Center.

“Our first priority is to provide the families with the support they need during this difficult time,” Maj. Gen. John W. Nicholson Jr., Commanding General of the 82nd, said in a statement.

In a similar incident in March 2011, eight Marines and two Navy personnel were injured in an explosion.

The blast happened when several hundred members of the 2nd Battalion of the 10th Marine Regiment were at Bragg for artillery training. A group was firing a similar weapon, an M777A2 lightweight howitzer, when a 155-mm round apparently exploded in the barrel.