Soldiers Injured in Bear Encounter at Alaska Military Base

Two U.S. Army soldiers were injured in an encounter with a brown bear during a training exercise at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER) in Alaska. The soldiers deployed bear spray during the incident. Military and state wildlife officials are investigating.

Incident Details

The incident occurred during a land navigation training event conducted by the 11th Airborne Division. The encounter took place in the Arctic Valley training area, a remote region of the base west of the Glenn Highway.

• The attack was reported to have occurred on Thursday, April 17, according to one source, and on Friday, April 18, according to another.
• Both soldiers sustained injuries and were receiving medical care as of late Friday morning, April 18.
• The military has stated it is withholding specific details about the soldiers' conditions pending notification of their next of kin.

Official Response and Investigation

The military is conducting its own investigation into the incident and is coordinating with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G).

• JBER has closed the area of the attack to recreational use.
• ADF&G staff collected evidence at the scene to confirm the species and gender of the bear and to determine if its DNA is on record.
• Officials were unable to locate the bear following the incident.

Official Statements

"The safety and well-being of our personnel is our highest priority."
Lt. Col. Jo Nederhoed, public affairs officer for the 11th Airborne Division

"We hope both individuals have a full and quick recovery, and our thoughts are with them during this time. In this case, having bear spray with them in the field may have saved their lives."
Cyndi Wardlow, ADF&G Regional Supervisor

The 11th Airborne Division said in a statement: "Both individuals sustained injuries and are currently receiving appropriate medical care. For privacy reasons, we are not releasing names or specific details about their conditions until next of kin has been notified."

Wildlife Officials' Assessment

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game provided the following analysis:

• Based on the location and evidence, officials believe the attack was likely defensive, possibly from a bear that had recently emerged from hibernation.
• The department stated there is not an elevated risk of another bear encounter in that specific area.
• Officials noted that spring weather leads to increased bear activity and emphasized that carrying deterrents like bear spray is essential.
• The public is asked to report any sightings of a brown bear in Anchorage or any wild animal behaving aggressively or unusually.

Context and Background

• Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson is home to more than 40,000 people, over half of whom are active-duty military personnel.
• Bear encounters are not uncommon in Alaska, which has an estimated population of 30,000 brown bears and 100,000 black bears.
• According to a study by Alaska's Section of Epidemiology, 68 people were hospitalized due to bear attacks in the state from 2000 to 2017. The majority of attacks (approximately 96%) involved brown bears, resulting in 10 fatalities from eight separate attacks.
• A previous fatal bear attack occurred near JBER in May 2022, when a staff sergeant was killed west of the Anchorage Regional Landfill.