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Eleven soldiers at Fort Bliss in Texas remained hospitalized on Friday, one day after they drank antifreeze, believing it was alcohol, during a field training exercise, military officials said.
Initial lab tests showed the soldiers were experiencing ethylene glycol poisoning after ingesting the antifreeze on the final day of a 10-day training exercise, Lt. Col. Allie Payne, a spokeswoman for the First Armored Division at Fort Bliss, said at a news conference.
Colonel Payne declined to discuss the episode in detail, saying it remained under investigation by U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command. Maj. Gen. Sean C. Bernabe, the senior mission commander of the First Armored Division and Fort Bliss, has also ordered an administrative investigation.
Army personnel are prohibited from consuming alcoholic beverages while on duty or in a training environment, she said.
Two soldiers were initially admitted to the William Beaumont Army Medical Center in critical condition but had shown notable improvement and were in serious condition in the intensive care unit on Friday, Colonel Payne said. The nine other soldiers were in stable condition and could be released soon, she said.
“Our primary concern remains the well-being of our soldiers, our families and the unit,” Colonel Payne said.
It was not clear how much antifreeze the soldiers had consumed, Colonel Payne said, adding that the “personnel believed that they were consuming an alcoholic beverage.”
Consuming large amounts of ethylene glycol can cause complete organ failure, Col. Shawna Scully, the deputy commander of medical services at the William Beaumont Army Medical Center, said at the news conference. Smaller amounts can cause nausea, agitation and confusion, she said. And some who consume very small amounts may not experience any symptoms, Colonel Scully said.
“We took immediate action to treat everyone involved with the best medical care available,” General Bernabe said in a statement. “Our commitment to soldiers and families remains our No. 1 priority as we work to understand what occurred Jan. 28.”
The injured personnel included one warrant officer, two noncommissioned officers and eight enlisted soldiers, officials said.
The First Armored Division, according to the Army’s website, is known as “Old Ironsides.” The division consists of 17,000 trained soldiers and carries out operations in support of U.S. military geographic combatant commands.
Fort Bliss had been struck with a spate of unfortunate episodes, including several deaths in recent weeks. At the beginning of the year, a soldier was found dead in her barracks months after reporting a sexual assault. Weeks later, a second soldier was found dead at home. Two other soldiers were killed in separate traffic accidents this month.
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