Three soldiers killed, one injured in accident during live-fire training at California base

FORT IRWIN, Calif. (AP) _ Three soldiers were killed early Friday in a training exercise involving live ammunition, military officials said. <br><br>One other soldier was wounded but the injury was not

Friday, March 29th 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

FORT IRWIN, Calif. (AP) _ Three soldiers were killed early Friday in a training exercise involving live ammunition, military officials said.

One other soldier was wounded but the injury was not life-threatening, said Maj. Rob Ali, a base spokesman.

The accident happened shortly before 2:30 a.m. during a ``live fire'' training exercise, Ali said. He had no details on how the soldiers died.

The armored brigade, estimated at 4,000 soldiers, was visiting from Fort Riley, Kan. It was finishing its last day of training as part of a four-week exercise, Ali said.

Other military units train at Fort Irwin in realistic combat training, a program the base has had since 1982, Ali added.

The identification of the victims were being withheld pending notification of their families.

``Our main concern and effort is the support of the families involved,'' Ali said.

In January 2001, two soldiers stationed at Fort Irwin died after they were found unconscious in their tent during a desert training exercise. The same month, five soldiers visiting Fort Irwin from a Fort Hood, Texas, battalion were injured when their UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter crashed during a night exercise.

Fort Irwin is about 120 miles east of Los Angeles.

Friday's accident was the second military tragedy in California in as many days. A Navy helicopter crashed Thursday on a Sierra Nevada ridge during a training flight, killing two crew members and injuring four.

The cause of both accidents are under investigation.