A military helicopter crash occurred in Colorado, injuring two soldiers, according to reports from local media.
The incident involved an AH-64 Apache helicopter from the 4th Infantry Division at Fort Carson and took place around 6:30 p.m. local time on Wednesday, during a routine training exercise.
Fort Carson, located near Colorado Springs, is a well-known U.S. Army base. The injured soldiers sustained minor injuries and were promptly taken to an army hospital for treatment, with emergency teams responding to the scene immediately.
Fort Carson, positioned near the city of Colorado Springs in Colorado, serves as a crucial training ground for the U.S. Army.
The base is home to several army units, including the 4th Infantry Division, which frequently conducts various training exercises to maintain readiness.
The AH-64 Apache helicopter, a mainstay in the U.S. Army’s aviation fleet, is often used in these exercises due to its advanced combat capabilities.
Helicopter crashes during training exercises, although rare, highlight the risks associated with military aviation training.
These incidents prompt ongoing assessments of safety protocols to minimize risks to personnel while ensuring the readiness and effectiveness of the military’s aviation units.
Last February, the US Army is reducing its force size by about 24,000 soldiers and restructuring its units to be better prepared for future wars, as it grapples with recruiting shortages that have made it impossible to fill all positions, according to a report by Politico.
The reductions will mainly come from already-vacant positions – not actual soldiers – including jobs related to counterinsurgency that swelled during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan but are no longer needed today. About 3,000 of the reductions will come from the Army’s special operations forces.
However, at the same time, the plan will add about 7,500 soldiers in other critical roles, including air defense units, anti-drone units, and five new teams worldwide with enhanced capabilities in cyber, intelligence, and long-range strikes.
According to an Army document, the service is “overstretched” and there aren’t enough soldiers to fill its current units. It stated that the reductions are about “footprints” not “faces” and soldiers won’t be asked to leave their jobs.
