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Eleven soldiers at Fort Bliss, Texas, stayed in the hospital Friday, the day after they drank antifreeze during a field exercise because they believed it was alcohol.
Initial laboratory tests showed the soldiers had ethylene glycol poisoning after ingesting the antifreeze on the last day of a 10-day training exercise, Lt. Col. Allie Payne, a spokeswoman for the First Armored Division at Fort Bliss, told a press conference.
Colonel Payne declined to discuss the episode in detail, saying it was still under investigation by the U.S. Army’s Criminal Investigation Command. Major General Sean C. Bernabe, the commander in chief of First Armored Division and Fort Bliss, has also ordered an administrative investigation.
Army personnel are prohibited from consuming alcoholic beverages while on duty or in a training setting, she said.
Two soldiers were initially admitted to the William Beaumont Army Medical Center in critical condition but showed marked improvement and were in serious condition in intensive care on Friday, Colonel Payne said. The nine other soldiers are in stable condition and could be released soon, she said.
“Our primary concern remains the well-being of our soldiers, families and the unit,” said Colonel Payne.
It is not clear how much antifreeze the soldiers consumed, Colonel Payne said, adding that “the staff believed they were consuming an alcoholic drink”.
Consuming large amounts of ethylene glycol can lead to complete organ failure, Colonel Shawna Scully, assistant commander of the medical services at William Beaumont Army Medical Center, told the news conference. Smaller amounts can cause nausea, restlessness, and confusion, she said. And some who consume very small amounts may not have symptoms, Colonel Scully said.
“We took immediate action to provide the best possible medical care to all concerned,” General Bernabe said in a statement. “Our commitment to soldiers and families remains our number one priority as we work to understand what happened on January 28th.”
The injured included an arrest warrant officer, two non-commissioned officers and eight soldiers.
The first armored division, It is known as “Old Ironsides” according to the Army website. The division consists of 17,000 trained soldiers and conducts operations in support of the geographic combatant commandos of the US military.
Fort Bliss had been hit by a spate of unfortunate episodes, including several deaths in the past few weeks. Earlier this year, months after a sexual assault was reported, a soldier was found dead in their barracks. Weeks later, a second soldier was found dead at home. Two other soldiers were killed in various road accidents this month.
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