A training mishap at Joint Base Lewis-McChord resulted in a soldier being wounded last month when live rounds were accidentally mixed with blanks, the Army reported on Tuesday.
Lt. Col. Jennifer Bocanegra, an Army spokesperson at Lewis-McChord, the Army and Air Force base located south of Tacoma, Washington, stated,
“The injured soldier was admitted to Madigan Army Medical Center and is in stable condition.”
Injured by a SAW Round
The training event on April 25 involved the 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne) and the 7th Infantry Division, both stationed at Lewis-McChord. The soldier sustained injuries from a live round fired from an M249 Squad Automatic Weapon.
In training exercises, blank rounds are used to simulate the firing of live rounds without the presence of a bullet. However, live rounds contain a bullet, posing a serious risk when mixed with blanks.
Immediate Stand Down Ordered
Maj. Russell Gordon, a public affairs officer for the 1st Special Forces Command at Fort Liberty, North Carolina, announced a 72-hour stand-down for all ranges using live and blank ammunition. The 1st Special Forces Command, headquartered in North Carolina, oversees units across various bases, including Lewis-McChord. This stand-down applies to all units under the command.
Subordinate units began a 24-hour amnesty period to turn in any improperly stored ammunition, followed by a thorough inventory of all ammunition storage locations.
Training Mishap
A training mishap at Joint Base Lewis-McChord resulted in a soldier being wounded last month when live rounds were accidentally mixed with blanks, the Army reported on Tuesday.
Lt. Col. Jennifer Bocanegra, an Army spokesperson at Lewis-McChord, the Army and Air Force base located south of Tacoma, Washington, stated,
“The injured soldier was admitted to Madigan Army Medical Center and is in stable condition.”
Injured by a SAW Round
The training event on April 25 involved the 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne) and the 7th Infantry Division, both stationed at Lewis-McChord. The soldier sustained injuries from a live round fired from an M249 Squad Automatic Weapon.
In training exercises, blank rounds are used to simulate the firing of live rounds without the presence of a bullet. However, live rounds contain a bullet, posing a serious risk when mixed with blanks.
Immediate Stand Down Ordered
Maj. Russell Gordon, a public affairs officer for the 1st Special Forces Command at Fort Liberty, North Carolina, announced a 72-hour stand-down for all ranges using live and blank ammunition. The 1st Special Forces Command, headquartered in North Carolina, oversees units across various bases, including Lewis-McChord. This stand-down applies to all units under the command.
Subordinate units began a 24-hour amnesty period to turn in any improperly stored ammunition, followed by a thorough inventory of all ammunition storage locations.
Commanders were instructed to review the storage, handling, and safety procedures related to ammunition and range operations at all levels to ensure policy compliance.
Gordon emphasized the preventive measures, stating,
“Although an investigation is underway on the exact circumstances of the incident, it was necessary to take prudent action now to ensure the safety and wellbeing of everyone.”
The M249 rifle, according to Army specifications, is a gas-operated, open-bolt automatic weapon firing a 5.56×45 mm NATO round. It achieves a muzzle velocity of 3,000 feet per second and has a maximum range of 3,600 meters. The weapon, capable of firing up to 800 rounds per minute using a drum magazine or belt-fed system, has been part of the U.S. Army and Marine arsenal since 1986, based on a Belgian design.
Army officials indicated that no additional information regarding the incident would be released until the completion of the investigation.
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