Army Identifies Soldier Killed in Training Accident at Fort Polk

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Fort Polk Sign (Photo:Army)

The U.S. Army identified the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) soldier that died Tuesday from injuries sustained during a live-fire training exercise at the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk, Louisiana.

Pfc. Victor J. Stanfill, an infantryman with A Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, known as the "Rakkasans," was pronounced dead at approximately 11:08 a.m., at Bayne-Jones Army Community Hospital on Fort Polk, unit spokesman Master Sgt. Kevin Doheny said in statement released Thursday.

Stanfill, 19, was a native of Fulton, Maryland. He enlisted into the service on Sept. 22, completed infantry training at Fort Benning, Georgia, and was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 506th in January, the release states.

His awards and decorations include the National Defense Service Medal, the Global War of Terrorism Service Medal, and the Army Service Ribbon, it states.

The training accident is currently under investigation, according to the release. An accident Investigation team from the U.S. Army Combat Readiness Center, headquartered at Fort Rucker, Alabama, deployed to Fort Polk to lead the investigation of the accident, it states.

"The USACRC does not release any information concerning accident causes, analysis or internal recommendations due to limitations set forth by Department of Defense instructions and Army regulations," it states.

The training death comes two days after the U.S. Navy announced a 21-year-old Navy SEAL trainee died last week during his first week of training in Coronado, California.

Seaman James "Derek" Lovelace was pulled out of the pool Friday after showing signs he was having difficulty while treading in a camouflage uniform and a dive mask, Naval Special Warfare Center spokesman Lt. Trevor Davids said.

Lovelace lost consciousness after being pulled out of the pool and was taken to a civilian hospital, where he was pronounced dead, Davids said. He was in his first week of SEAL training after joining the Navy about six months ago, Davids said.

-- Matthew Cox can be reached at matthew.cox@military.com.

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