Army Ranger students struck by lightning during bad weather drills
Forty Army Ranger students and four Ranger instructors were injured by lightning Wednesday afternoon while they were 鈥榗onducting lightning protection protocols鈥� at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida, .
The soldiers were in the field on the seventh day of their 10-day training program, when the storm hit in the late afternoon. Twenty-three students and one Ranger instructor were treated and discharged while seventeen students and three instructors remained overnight in the hospital.
"The Ranger students and instructors reacted and got everyone proper medical care quickly," Col. David Fivecoat, Airborne and Ranger Training Brigade commander,聽. "Ranger students and instructors are tough, 31 students will return to training tonight and continue with increased medical monitoring as they try to earn their Ranger tab."
The swamp phase of Ranger School is the final test in the most difficult training the US Army offers. This is聽the first Ranger school class to include women聽and two females are in the class of about 125 students, as reported by 海角大神. Neither of the women were involved in the weather incident, according to a statement by the Airborne and Ranger Training Brigade at Fort Benning.
Recently, 海角大神 reported that 鈥渓ightning strikes in the US kill an聽average of around 40 people per year聽but hit many more: 90 percent of lightning victims聽survive the encounter.鈥� 聽
When a severe thunderstorm rolls in,聽lightning strikes聽can be a dangerous threat. So, how can they be avoided? 聽
William Roeder, a US Air Force meteorologist who works with NASA in Florida, a very simple slogan: 鈥淲hen thunder roars, go indoors!鈥�
鈥淭he safest shelter is a large, fully enclosed building with wiring and plumbing, such as a typical house, school, store, or public building. If none of these are available, the next best option is any vehicle that has a solid metal roof and solid metal sides, like the average car, bus, or truck,鈥�
鈥淥nce inside, avoid any conducting path to the outside. Don鈥檛 use a corded phone; only use a cordless phone. Stay away from television, computers, and appliances.鈥�
鈥淢etal pipes, or plastic pipes with metal in them, are conducting paths to the outside,鈥� Mr. Roeder told NASA. 鈥淧eople have been shocked doing the dishes, or killed while taking a shower during a thunderstorm.鈥�
The聽National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration聽(NOAA)聽advises that聽鈥渋f you are stuck outside in a thunderstorm, you can slightly lower your chances of being struck by avoiding high places, open fields, isolated trees, rain or picnic shelters, communications towers, flagpoles, light poles, metal fences, convertibles, and water.鈥�
