11 Fort Bliss soldiers became ill after drinking chemical found in antifreeze, military says

The group of 11 soldiers who fell ill at Fort Bliss on Thursday were sickened by drinking ethylene glycol, the main chemical in antifreeze, the military said on Friday. Army officials said it appears the Texas soldiers, who all showed “significant improvement” in their health overnight, believed they were drinking alcohol.

“On January 28, 11 soldiers from Fort Bliss were injured after ingesting an unknown substance during a field training exercise. Initial reports indicate that the soldiers consumed the substance thinking they were drinking a substance. alcoholic drink, ”said Lt. Col. Allie Payne. Payne noted that Soldiers are not permitted to drink alcohol on duty or during training exercises.

“Early lab evaluations indicate soldiers are suffering from ethylene glycol poisoning,” Payne said. She later added that “the lab results indicate the toxic substance referred to [as] antifreeze.”

Payne said the Soldiers, who are assigned to the 11th Air Defense Artillery Brigade, ingested the substance on the last day of a 10-day field training exercise, after completing the exercise.

The soldiers sought treatment at William Beaumont Army Medical Center that morning, Payne said. All remain in the center, but up to four are expected to be released later Friday. Two soldiers who were in critical condition on Thursday remain “seriously ill” and are in intensive care, she said.

But Colonel Shawna Scully, the deputy commander of the medical center, said all 11 showed signs of “significant improvement” overnight. One soldier was extubated on Friday, and all are doing “amazingly well,” Scully said.

The military is investigating the incident. When asked if those involved were punished, Payne said the military’s priority was to treat injured soldiers. These 11 soldiers are the only ones who allegedly ingested the liquid, she said.

Ingesting ethylene glycol can lead to immediate kidney damage, and ingesting large enough amounts can lead to organ failure, Scully said. It is not clear how much of the substance each soldier ingests.