Two soldiers die in Ranger School

Tidewater

Hall of Fame
Mar 15, 2003
22,401
13,176
287
Hooterville, Vir.
During a "weather-induced training hold," a tree fell on and killed two soldiers on Mount Yonah in north Georgia.
Army identifies 2 soldiers killed by falling tree in Georgia
Typically, when a thunderstorm moves through a training area, trainees will ground their weapons, and move to low ground until the storm passes.
The two guys were a Second Lieutenant, 2nd Lt. Evan Fitzgibbon, recently commissioned at West Point, and a 7th Special Forces Group medic, Staff Sergeant George Taber.
It is an inherently dangerous business.
RIP, guys. RLW
 

TIDE-HSV

Senior Administrator
Staff member
Oct 13, 1999
84,487
39,557
437
Huntsville, AL,USA
I think my worst one, of a number, was out on the Boulevard Ridge trail connecting the AT to Mt. LeConte. Literally nowhere to hide. We were reduced to running from boulder to boulder...
 

Tidewater

Hall of Fame
Mar 15, 2003
22,401
13,176
287
Hooterville, Vir.
One incident a few years back was in Fort Knox Kentucky. A thunderstorm came through, cadets were training, the instructors told them to ground their weapons, and move to low ground and while they did, lightning struck one of the cadets, killing her. The Army had to send an officer and a chaplain to her family to tell them their little girl was gone. I've done some difficult things, but that would be extremely difficult.
 

TIDE-HSV

Senior Administrator
Staff member
Oct 13, 1999
84,487
39,557
437
Huntsville, AL,USA
One incident a few years back was in Fort Knox Kentucky. A thunderstorm came through, cadets were training, the instructors told them to ground their weapons, and move to low ground and while they did, lightning struck one of the cadets, killing her. The Army had to send an officer and a chaplain to her family to tell them their little girl was gone. I've done some difficult things, but that would be extremely difficult.
Tough! One interesting incident we experienced happened in Colorado. First, we have friends, a couple, who got struck by lightning while up in the mountains on the line between TN and NC. They were huddled on their sleeping pads and her heel was off. Since they were holding each other, it traveled from her heel through both their bodies. It didn't affect him but changed her personality profoundly. They were with us on the Boulevard Trail in that storm. Then, in Colorado, when we had a place in Vail, they came to visit and we went on a hike. A lightning storm forced us to seek low ground. After that, I told my wife that we were never, ever hiking anywhere with them again...
 
  • Like
Reactions: 92tide

Latest threads

TideFans.shop : 2024 Madness!

TideFans.shop - Get YOUR Bama Gear HERE!”></a>
<br />

<!--/ END TideFans.shop & item link \-->
<p style= Purchases made through our TideFans.shop and Amazon.com links may result in a commission being paid to TideFans.