Two soldiers killed at Fort Jackson, SC
The UK’s Daily Mail reports that two soldiers were killed and six were injured when a military vehicle slammed into a formation of soldiers at Fort Jackson, South Carolina;
Officials at the base said two of the soldiers who were hit are in critical condition.
Names of the soldiers will be released based on the wishes of their family members.
‘We will thoroughly investigate the cause of the accident,’ said U.S. Army Training Center and Fort Jackson Commander Maj. Gen., Pete Johnson.
Category: Army News
Seems like a lot of avoidable vehicle deaths are occurring of late (i.e., last couple of years). There was that deuce and a half at Fort Hood where soldiers drowned. Is it I’m just getting old or did we have this senseless loss of troops back in the day?
Operational Security and responses to potential issues were much better several decades ago. I personally feel there was a monumental drop off in OpSec… hell… there was a drop off in nearly everything related to security. Given that background checks were conducted by specific agencies before then and given they were contracted to fucking civilian companies after that period I think there is no doubt that things were much tighter and controlled in or around 1990 and before.
On that note I have read some rumors from two different sources claiming that the Campbell armory was breached and items stolen in early September. I can find no story on it (or anything). Anyone here at or know someone at Campbell who can confirm?
Prayers out to the families and friends of those lost.
Rest in peace Soldiers. Training for war can be as dangerous as the war itself.
Muzzie driver?
Other then that bit of snark, prayers and condolences to the survivors and families of those hit.
These days, that’s almost the first thought.
Alas …
After hitting the first road guard you’d think they’d have stopped.
I don’t even know how something like this could happen.
https://www.armywtfmoments.com/2017/10/details-emerge-after-truck-crashes-into-soldiers-killing-two-trainees/
“An unidentified drill sergeant” was apparently driving. Well, someone’s losing his hat.
Sounds like an overworked Drill Sergeant fell asleep behind the wheel. Here’s the thing: manning and long hours lead to worn out Drills driving the trail vehicle. Depending on the schedule and number of available Drills, it is entirely possible that this Drill Sergeant got home after 2100 and had to be in at 0330 or earlier to spend 3+ hours behind the wheel. It’s also possible that the driver pulled CQ the day prior. While our command is okay with us catching a little sleep, we don’t get a full night’s rest despite occasionally having to help out the following day.
If this is the case, it comes down to the Army leaders’ unofficial policy of “safety first, unless it’s not convenient”. Many regular units have their Soldiers report at 0600 or so even if they have a 0900-0900 duty that day. Even regular work hours consume Drill Sergeants here on Sand Hill. I got off at 1400 today, but have a 26-hour CQ shift tomorrow and have averaged less than 4 hours of sleep a night for the past week due to a schedule that finds me waking up at 0330 and getting home between 1930 and 2200.
Another possibility is that the driver was on some kind of substance. They might have been feeling the effects of a night out drinking, or they could be on a legit prescription due to an injury. If we have them, we use the broke Drills as drivers so the able-bodied ones can walk.
This accident is sad regardless of the reason, though, and I hope the surviving Trainees recover.
The driver fell asleep.
This is all beyond heartbreaking for the families of those who died.
Rest in Peace.