50 paratroopers injured in major airborne operation

Posted 2015-04-15 00:24 by Grunt Report with 0 comments

About 50 paratroopers were injured Monday after a large-scale airborne operation conducted by the 82nd Airborne Division and the United Kingdom’s 16 Air Assault Brigade.

About 2,100 paratroopers participated in Monday night’s airborne operation. Most of the injured troops were Americans; about 10 were British paratroopers, said Lt. Col. Cathy Wilkinson, a spokeswoman for the 82nd Airborne Division.

The paratroopers were taken to Womack Army Medical Center on Fort Bragg, North Carolina, to be evaluated by medical personnel, the 82nd Airborne said in a statement.

About 40 of them were released and returned to duty early Tuesday afternoon.

Five were admitted to the hospital and the rest were waiting to be evaluated.

Most of the paratroopers suffered injuries to their legs or ankles or had back pain, which “are not out of the ordinary for injuries associated with airborne operations,” Wilkinson said.

None of the injuries was life-threatening, and officials expected the majority of the soldiers to be able to return to their normal duties by the end of the day Tuesday.

“The 82nd Airborne Division conducts thousands of airborne operations each year,” Wilkinson said. “Exiting an aircraft in flight with a full combat equipment load comes with inherent risks, but we take prudent precautions to minimize potential injuries.”

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