A specialist died Sept. 9 in a training accident at Fort Polk, Louisiana, becoming the second training fatality at the base in less than two months.
Spc. Silas S. Jones, 22, of Marionville, Missouri, a member of 5th Battalion, 25th Field Artillery Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, died "in a tactical vehicle incident" that also injured another soldier, according to a Friday statement released by Fort Polk. The injured soldier was airlifted to a nearby hospital; neither his name nor his condition were provided by base officials, who said in the statement that no further information would be released pending the results of an investigation.
Jones joined the Army in May 2012, according to the release. The cannon crew member deployed to Afghanistan in June 2013, returning the following February, and came to Fort Polk in July. He earned two Army Commendation Medals among other decorations, the release states.
The incident was reported by NOLA.com along with other local media outlets.
On July 24, 20-year-old Sgt. Tyler Zody died at Fort Polk in a training accident that injured three other soldiers. That incident also is under investigation.
