Jan. 30 (UPI) — A Fort Bliss, Texas, incident in which 11 soldiers were hospitalized after ingesting an unknown substance, is under investigation, the Army said on Friday.
Two soldiers are in critical condition, the 1st Armored Division and base commanders said in a press release.
All the affected soldiers — who include one warrant officer, two noncommissioned officers and eight enlisted members — were taken to the on-post William Beaumont Army Medical Center after eating the substance during a field training exercise on Thursday.
The substance in question is unknown but is evidently not obtained as a part of authorized food channels, the Army Times reported on Friday.”The substance and how it was provided is still being investigated. I can confirm we do not suspect it was associated with an MRE [Meal, Ready to Eat, the standard Army field ration],” said 1st Armored Division spokesman Lt. Col. Allie Payne
“Everything else is being investigated,” Payne said.
Payne added that updates will be issued as more information is available.
“We took immediate action to treat everyone involved with the best medical care available,” Maj. Gen. Sean Bernabe, Fort Bliss commander, said in a statement.
“Our leaders are engaged at every level to provide guidance, information, and care for their teammates,” Bernabe said.
