A soldier going through the beginning stages of basic combat training at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, died on the afternoon of March 3 after completing a training exercise.
Pvt. Estanley Cabrera, 24, was assigned to the 434th Field Artillery Brigade when he began showing signs of distress following an introductory exercise called “Hellcat 100,” according to a preliminary Army incident report.
Cabrera, originally from New York City, New York, enlisted this year as a cannon-crewmember, 13B.
Initially conscious and semi-responsive but unstable on his feet, Cabrera then lost consciousness while the battery drill sergeants performed heat casualty protocols, the report stated.
Emergency services personnel were quickly notified, and Cabrera was transported to the Comanche County Memorial Hospital. Lifesaving measures were performed and continued en-route to the hospital. Upon arrival, he was pronounced dead by the attending physician.
Command officials declined to comment further on the incident, which is under investigation.
“The tragic loss of a teammate deeply saddens the entire Fort Sill team,” Commanding Officer at Fort Sill, Maj. Gen. Kenneth Kamper said in a statement last week. “Our deepest condolences go out to Private Cabrera’s family, friends and fellow soldiers.”
Since 2017, the Army has lost an average of three soldiers each year to mishaps like this one, which are classified as “combat skills/ military-unique mishaps,” according to the Army Safety Center.
This tragedy was the first such fatality of fiscal 2022, according to the preliminary incident report.
Rachel is a Marine Corps veteran and a master's candidate at New York University's Business & Economic Reporting program.
