2 JBER Soldiers Injured in Bear Attack During Training Exercise

A bear attacked and injured two soldiers who were participating in a training exercise in a remote location at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson on Thursday, military and state wildlife officials said Friday, April 17.

The U.S. Army 11th Airborne Division soldiers were hurt in the encounter with a brown bear while participating a “land navigation training event” at the base’s Arctic Valley training area, Lt. Col. Jo Nederhoed, a public affairs officer for the division, said in an email.

The soldiers were “receiving appropriate medical care” as of late Friday morning, Nederhoed said. The military was withholding details about their condition pending notification of their next of kin, she said.

“The safety and well-being of our personnel is our highest priority,” Nederhoed said. “The incident is under investigation, and we are coordinating with local wildlife authorities to ensure the safety of all personnel in the area.”

Alaska Department of Fish and Game officials said in a Friday afternoon statement that the attack occurred in a remote area of the base with limited access, west of the Glenn Highway.

The timing of the encounter is unclear, though it appeared to have been a defensive attack from a bear that had recently emerged from its den, wildlife officials said.

The bear hadn’t been located as of Friday, according to the Fish and Game statement.

While state wildlife officials said there wasn’t an elevated risk of another bear encounter in that area given its location, JBER closed the area of the attack to recreation.

Both soldiers were carrying bear spray and used it during the encounter, officials said.

“We hope both individuals have a full and quick recovery, and our thoughts are with them during this time,” Fish and Game Regional Supervisor Cyndi Wardlow said in the statement. “In this case, having bear spray with them in the field may have saved their lives.”

Spring weather and increasing bear activity means an increased risk of encounters for Alaskans, wildlife officials said.

“Carrying deterrents and being prepared to use them is an essential part of working and recreating across Alaska,” the department said in its statement.

Although an initial report suggested the soldiers were attacked by a brown bear, Fish and Game staff members collected evidence at the scene to confirm the species and gender of the bear and determine whether its DNA has been previously collected during other research or management activities, according to the department.

The Department of Fish and Game asked anyone who sees a brown bear in Anchorage or any wild animal behaving aggressively or unusually, to report it online, or call 911 if it is an emergency.