The military said Friday the group of eleven soldiers who fell ill in Fort Bliss on Thursday became ill by drinking ethylene glycol. Army officials said it appears the Texas soldiers, who 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 drug during a field exercise. Initial reports indicate that the soldiers consumed the drug and thought they were drinking an alcoholic beverage,” Lieutenant- Colonel Allie Payne said. Payne noted that soldiers are not allowed to drink alcohol on duty or during training exercises.
“Initial laboratory assessments indicate that the soldiers are experiencing ethylene glycol poisoning,” Payne said. She later added that ‘the laboratory results give an indication of the toxic substance commonly referred to [as] antifreeze. ‘
According to Payne, the soldiers, assigned to the 11th Air Defense Brigade, ingested the substance on the last day of a 10-day training exercise after completing the exercise.
The soldiers sought treatment at William Beaumont Army Medical Center that morning, Payne said. Everyone stays in the center, though it is expected to be released by Friday. Two soldiers who were in a 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. One soldier was evacuated on Friday and everyone is doing ‘incredibly well’, Scully said.
The army is investigating the incident. Asked if those involved were disciplined, Payne said the military’s priority is to treat the injured soldiers. The 11 soldiers are the only ones believed to have ingested the liquid, she said.
Ingestion of ethylene glycol can lead to immediate kidney damage, and ingestion of sufficient amounts can lead to organ failure, Scully said. It is not clear how much of the substance each soldier ingested.