The group of 11 soldiers who fell ill at Fort Bliss on Thursday fell ill from drinking ethylene glycol, the main chemical in antifreeze, the military said Friday. Army officials said it appears that the Texas soldiers, all of whom showed a “significant improvement” in their health overnight, believed they were drinking alcohol.
“On January 28, 11 Fort Bliss soldiers were injured after ingesting an unknown substance during field training. Initial reports indicate that the soldiers consumed the substance believing they were drinking an alcoholic beverage,” said Lieutenant Colonel Allie Payne . Payne noted that soldiers should not drink alcohol while on duty or during training drills.
“Initial laboratory studies show that the soldiers are experiencing ethylene glycol poisoning,” Payne said. She later added that “the laboratory results have the indication of the toxic substance commonly referred to [as] antifreeze.”
Payne said the soldiers, who are assigned to the 11th Air Defense Artillery Brigade, ingested the dust on the last day of a 10-day field exercise after completing the exercise.
The soldiers sought treatment at the William Beaumont Army Medical Center that morning, Payne said. They all remain at the center, although 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 the ICU, she said.
But Colonel Shawna Scully, the medical center’s deputy commander, said all 11 showed signs of “significant improvement” overnight. A soldier was extubated on Friday and things are all going “incredibly well,” Scully said.
The army is investigating the incident. When asked if those involved were being punished, Payne said the military’s priority is to treat the wounded soldiers. Those 11 soldiers are the only ones believed to have ingested the liquid, she said.
Intake of ethylene glycol can lead to immediate kidney damage, and ingesting adequate amounts can lead to organ failure, Scully said. It is not clear how much of the substance each soldier ingested.