Schofield soldier dies in training accident in Kahuku

A Schofield Barracks soldier died Thursday as a result of injuries from a training accident in the Kahuku area as part of Lightning Forge, one of the 25th Infantry Division’s biggest exercises, the Army said.

The soldier’s name is being withheld pending notification of next of kin, the Army said. The death is being investigated. Officials said more details would be forthcoming Friday.

“On behalf of the state of Hawaii, I extend my deepest condolences to the soldier’s family, those who served alongside that soldier, and the leadership of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team,” Gov. David Ige said in a news release.

Lightning Forge, which runs Oct. 28 to Sunday, is focused on training the approximately 4,000 soldiers of the 2nd Brigade but includes about 10,000 Hawaii soldiers in total including helicopter and support roles, the Army said.

Live fire is typically not used in the Army’s Kahuku training area.

The 2nd Brigade, which used to have eight-wheeled Stryker armored vehicles, is continuing its transition to a light infantry unit. The Army announced in July 2015 that as part of a servicewide downsizing, the Hawaii Stryker Brigade would lose a maneuver battalion and its armored vehicles. Some 320 Stryker vehicles were shipped out of Hawaii.

The brigade is expected to deploy to the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk, La., early in 2017 for final training to be rated among the units with the highest level of combat readiness in the Army. The Army is trying to maintain such readiness in Hawaii as a component of the renewed emphasis on the Asia-Pacific region.

In February the 2nd Brigade also was the focus of another Lightning Forge with some soldiers arriving at Marine Corps Training Area Bellows by big twin-rotor Chinook and Black Hawk helicopters.

Nearly 100 of the soldiers had a mission to capture several “high-value individuals” in the fictional island nation of Ari, as well as to assess a refugee camp.