US Army soldier dies after bear attack in Alaska

US soldier dies after being attacked by a bear in Alaska during training in Anchorage

• The soldier was on a training exercise west of the Anchorage Regional Landfill
• He was attacked by a bear yesterday and subsequently died from his injuries 
• He was stationed at the US military’s Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson
• Alaska Wildlife Troopers are now hunting for the bear and have closed the area 

A US Army soldier has died of his injuries after he was attacked by a bear while on a training exercise on Tuesday in Alaska.

The soldier was part of a small unit in a training area west of the Anchorage Regional Landfill when the bear attacked.

The name of the soldier was being withheld pending next-of-kin notification.

The 673rd Security Forces Squadron initially responded to the incident, according to officials at the US military facility Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER).

Alaska Wildlife Troopers are now conducting a search for the bear believed to have carried out the deadly attack, according to JBER.

The area has since been closed to the public for all recreation activity to prevent further attacks.

Grizzly bears and black bears are two of the most common species inhabiting Alaska, though the large brown grizzly bear is generally more dangerous and willing to attack humans

Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson is a US military facility in Anchorage, the largest city in Alaska, and is the result of a merger between the US Air Force’s Elmendorf Air Force Base and the US Army’s Fort Richardson in 2010

It is unclear which kind of bear was involved in the attack, and Alaska is home to a variety of bear species.

Grizzly bears and black bears are two of the most common species inhabiting Alaska, though the large brown grizzly bear is generally more dangerous and willing to attack humans.

JBER is a US military facility in Anchorage, the largest city in Alaska, and is the result of a merger between the US Air Force’s Elmendorf Air Force Base and the US Army’s Fort Richardson in 2010.

Base officials said more information would be released as it became available. 

The soldier was part of a small unit in a training area west of the Anchorage Regional Landfill when the bear attacked (a paratrooper based at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson is pictured in March 2021 in Alaska)

Alaska Wildlife Troopers are now conducting a search for the bear believed to have carried out the deadly attack, according to JBER (black bear pictured in Alaska)

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