Two US soldiers were injured following a bear attack at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER) in Anchorage, Alaska. The incident took place on April 16 during a routine training exercise in the Arctic Valley area of the military installation.
Operative Information Center-OMM reports, citing the Associated Press, that the soldiers received immediate medical attention following the encounter. Lieutenant Colonel Joe Nederhood, a spokesperson for the US Army's 11th Airborne Division, told the Anchorage Daily News that the paratroopers utilized bear pepper spray in self-defense during the attack. While the specific condition of the soldiers has not been disclosed, an investigation into the circumstances of the incident is currently underway.
Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson is a massive military facility spanning over 64,000 acres, much of which consists of rugged Alaskan wilderness where encounters with brown and black bears are a known risk. The 11th Airborne Division, frequently referred to as the "Arctic Angels," conducts regular training in these remote areas to maintain readiness for extreme cold-weather and mountainous operations. Military protocols in Alaska typically include wildlife safety training and the mandatory use of non-lethal deterrents to mitigate risks posed by the local predator population.
