FORT BRAGG, N.C. (AP) — Eight U.S. special operations forces were injured Thursday during a training exercise involving demolitions at the Army’s largest base, just one day after 15 Marines were hurt in a fire while training in California.
The soldiers were taken to several hospitals including the Womack Army Medical Center on base for treatment, said Lt. Col. Rob Bockholt, a spokesman for the U.S. Army’s Special Operations Command, which is based at Fort Bragg in North Carolina.
Bockholt didn’t know the extent of the soldiers’ injuries.
Initial reports said the injuries happened in an explosion, but Bockholt says he could not confirm that.
“There was an incident that occurred on one of the ranges,” Bockholt said, adding that the command is investigating. “We’re looking into exactly what happened.”
The soldiers were students from the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School and they were at a range on base, the Army said.
A day earlier, eight Marines were rushed to a burn center and seven others also were hospitalized following a fire in their amphibious vehicle during training at Camp Pendleton in California.
Also, a soldier was killed Tuesday night during hoist training for medical helicopter evacuations at Fort Hood in Texas.
Outside Fort Bragg’s gates, it seemed like a typical day, with cars and trucks streaming in and out of one of the world’s largest Army installations.
About 57,000 military personnel are attached to Fort Bragg, a 161,000-acre base located next to Fayetteville, North Carolina.
The Army’s Special Operations Command has about 23,000 soldiers spread over several sites.
(Copyright (c) 2026 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)