Ten soldiers in the U.S. Army Reserve sustained injuries in a lightning strike at Fort Gordon, Georgia, Wednesday morning, according to officials.
The strike hit one of the training areas on the base at approximately 11:10 a.m., authorities told the ABC-affiliated news station WJBF, and Fort Gordon’s Department of Emergency Services and Emergency Medical Services were immediately called to the scene. All those who were hurt in the strike were taken to a medical center.
“We know there were injuries, but we don’t know the extent of those injuries,” Anne Bowman, a spokeswoman for the Army base, told ABC News.
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The base, which was established in 1941, serves as the Army’s headquarters for its Signal Corps, Cyber Command, and the Cyber Center of Excellence. Approximately 16,000 soldiers work on the base, including members of the National Guard, members of the reserve, and active-duty service members.
“I ask everyone to please take this time to pray for the families and Soldiers at Fort Gordon today,” William Scott, a member of the Fort Gordon community, said on Facebook, according to the Daily Mail. “Several Soldiers were electrocuted while in training this morning. It’s definitely a traumatic event that has taken hold on the entire community’s emotions, confidence in the Leadership’s mission and trust in the Army’s cohesion to the Soldiers’ left and right. The entire Army community here at Fort Gordon has been touched and moved by this event. I pray that everyone is able to find peace and healing throughout the closure of this traumatic event.”
The Army listed Fort Gordon as one of the nine bases that will be renamed earlier this year, announcing that the base’s new name will be Fort Eisenhower, after the 34th president and onetime Army general.
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This story is developing and will be updated as more information comes available. The base did not respond to the Washington Examiner’s request for comment at the time of publishing.
