A brown bear attacked and injured two U.S. Army soldiers during a training exercise Thursday at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, the latest close call between people and wildlife at one of Alaska’s busiest military installations. Both soldiers were members of the 11th Airborne Division and were taking part in a land navigation training event at the base’s Arctic Valley training area.
Lt. Col. Jo Nederhoed said Friday morning that the soldiers were receiving appropriate medical care, but the military was withholding details about their condition until their next of kin had been notified. He said the incident was under investigation and that the Army was working with local wildlife authorities to keep other personnel safe.
The attack mattered because it involved a bear that had only recently emerged from its den, according to wildlife officials, and it happened in a remote part of the base with limited access west of the Glenn Highway. Alaska Department of Fish and Game officials said the encounter appeared to have been defensive, not predatory, and that timing of the attack remained unclear. That distinction matters in Alaska, where spring weather and rising bear activity put soldiers, hikers and workers at greater risk as animals move farther from dens and into more traveled areas.
Fish and Game said both soldiers were carrying bear spray and used it during the encounter. Cyndi Wardlow said the spray may have saved their lives, adding that she hoped both individuals would make a full and quick recovery. The department also said carrying deterrents and being prepared to use them is an essential part of working and recreating across Alaska.
Wildlife staff collected evidence at the scene to confirm the bear’s species and gender and to determine whether its DNA had been collected before. The bear had not been located as of Friday, and JBER closed the area of the attack to recreation. Fish and Game also asked anyone who sees a brown bear in Anchorage, or any wild animal behaving aggressively or unusually, to report it online or call 911 if it is an emergency.
The encounter is over, but the risk it exposed is not. With the bear still missing and the base’s recreation area shut down, the immediate question is whether the animal can be found before anyone else crosses its path.