ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Two U.S. Army soldiers were injured after encountering a brown bear in a mountainous training area in Anchorage, the military said Friday, raising questions about safety protocols in wildlife-dense training zones where up to 425 bears roam freely.
The incident happened Thursday as the soldiers were participating in a "land navigation training event" in Arctic Valley, part of the Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson's training area. The soldiers were receiving medical care as of Friday, a military official told the Anchorage Daily News. Messages sent to base spokespersons were not immediately returned to The Associated Press on Friday.
Response and Investigation
Both soldiers used pepper spray on the bear, the official said. The soldiers' conditions were not released pending notification of relatives. Few other details were available about the incident because it was still under investigation.
"The safety and well-being of our personnel is our highest priority," Lt. Col. Jo Nederhoed, a spokesperson for the U.S. Army 11th Airborne Division, said in an email to the Anchorage Daily News.
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game is investigating what it says appears to have been "a defensive attack" by a bear that had recently emerged from a den. The area near where the incident occurred has been closed to recreational activity by base officials, the department said.
Samples were collected by investigators with the aim of positively identifying the species and gender of bear involved, the department said.
Training Environment Challenges
The base encompasses 100 square miles (259 square kilometers) within the Municipality of Anchorage, where up to 350 black bears and 75 brown bears roam freely. The substantial bear population presents ongoing challenges for military training operations in the region, as soldiers must maintain readiness while navigating terrain shared with potentially dangerous wildlife.
The incident underscores the unique operational environment faced by Alaska-based military units, who must balance combat training requirements with wildlife safety considerations. The fact that both soldiers were equipped with and deployed pepper spray suggests awareness of bear encounter protocols, though the attack still resulted in injuries requiring medical care.
The closure of the training area to recreational activity demonstrates the immediate impact such incidents have on both military operations and civilian access to federal lands. The ongoing investigation by both military and state wildlife officials will likely examine whether additional safety measures or training modifications are necessary for future exercises in bear-populated areas.
Why This Matters:
This incident highlights the operational challenges and safety risks inherent in maintaining military readiness in Alaska's unique environment, where training areas overlap with substantial wildlife populations. The base's 100 square miles host up to 425 bears, creating persistent safety concerns that require resource allocation for wildlife management, personnel training, and emergency response capabilities. The temporary closure of the training area affects both military operational capacity and public recreational access, demonstrating how wildlife encounters can disrupt multiple uses of federal lands. The investigation's outcome may lead to enhanced safety protocols, additional equipment requirements, or modified training procedures—all of which carry cost and readiness implications for Alaska-based units operating in one of America's most strategically important regions for national defense and Arctic security operations.