A group of 11 Texas-based soldiers fell ill on Thursday after consuming a substance while completing a field training exercise, the Army said on Friday. The incident is under investigation, according to a statement from the 1st Armored Division based at Fort Bliss in El Paso.
Two of the soldiers were in critical condition, the division said. All 11 were receiving medical care at an Army hospital.
The soldiers fell ill “after consuming a substance acquired outside authorized food distribution channels,” the division said. The group includes a warrant officer, two noncommissioned officers and eight recruits.
“Our commitment to our soldiers and families remains our number one priority as we work to understand what happened on January 28,” said General Sean Bernabe, senior commander of the division’s mission and Fort Bliss, in a statement.
The division is known as “America’s Tank Division”, according to the fort’s website.