Army identifies soldier who died after Alaska bear attack

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — The U.S. Army on Thursday identified the soldier who died this week of injuries sustained during a bear attack in a military training area in Alaska.

The Army in a statement said Staff Sgt. Seth Michael Plant, 30, was pronounced dead at a hospital on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage following the mauling Tuesday. Another soldier received minor injuries in the attack in a training area west of the Anchorage landfill, according to the Army.

Plant was from Saint Augustine, Florida, and had been at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson since July 2021, the Army said in a statement. He was an infantryman from the 3rd Battalion, 509th Parachute Infantry Regiment.

Lt. Col. David J. Nelson, 3rd Battalion, 509th Parachute Infantry Regiment commander, said Plant “always had a smile on his face, he always went above and beyond what was asked of him, and he served as an inspiration to all who had the privilege to know him.”

The Army says the mauling is being investigated and that more information will be announced as it becomes available.

More In Your Army

Guardians will be allowed to sport neck tattoos

Don't let you neck tattoo keep you from becoming a Guardian.

Foreboding Army PSYOPS recruitment video shows ‘who’s pulling the strings’

This PSYOP recruiting video might also be a PSYOP.

The Army is building a ‘dashboard’ to measure human performance

Soldiers are set to run a 72-hour field exercise while being tracked and monitored with MASTR-E tools.

US special ops to get vehicle converter kits for the Arctic by early 2023

Polaris is preparing its Arctic kit for the MRZR Alpha as part of a deal with U.S. Special Operations Command to supply lightweight tactical all-terrain vehicles.

From targeting to navigation, handheld devices are merging tech and tactics

For ground-based observers calling in fires on a target, the observer historically worked with a radio and a pair of binoculars, or a bulky laser guidance system to get the job done. But systems have become more more precise and portable over the decades.

In Other News

Senators reach deal to advance sweeping military toxic exposure legislation

The measure could be passed out of the chamber in the next few weeks and become law later this summer.

Diversity and inclusion are critical to future military readiness

The Defense Department’s greatest strength is its people.

Commissaries set limits on purchases of baby formula amid nationwide shortage

The supply of infant formula is running 40 percent to 50 percent below normal in commercial stores, but the most critical, specialized formulas have been even more depleted.

Review finds US troops didn’t violate law in Syria airstrike

The investigation comes amid new scrutiny on the U.S. military for strikes that cause innocent deaths.

New military suicide prevention study group to begin work this summer

The 10-member panel will offer a report on improvements to suicide prevention efforts within the armed forces early next year.

Load More