Texas National Guard Soldier Killed While Working on Operation Lone Star
By: Ricardo E. Calderon, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc., Copyright 2022
A Texas National Guard soldier working on Governor Greg Abbott’s Operation Lone Star in Brackettville, Kinney County, Texas was accidentally shot with a personal weapon while undergoing training at Fort Clark Springs on Monday, February 7, 2022, said the Army Times.
According to the Army Times, the Texas National Guardsman was sitting in the front seat of a parked vehicle at Fort Clark Springs in Brackettville, Kinney County, Texas while doing swim training with his unit and handed his personal handgun to another soldier sitting in the backseat when the handgun fired a round through the seat as the second soldier was taking it from his hands and into the first soldier’s back.
The Texas National Guardsman was treated by medics at the training site in Fort Clark Springs and Kinney County EMS arrived within five minutes of the accidental shooting and called for a helicopter to transfer the guardsman to a medical center in San Antonio, Texas.
According to the Army Times, the Texas National Guardsman was pronounced dead at the scene in Brackettville, Texas.
The tragic death of the Texas National Guardsman in Brackettville, Texas is the sixth death of a soldier while working in support of Operation Lone Star since October 2021, including four deaths attributed to suicide.
The soldier becomes the second Texas National Guard member to have been killed in an accidental shooting with a personal weapon, according to the Army Times.
Texas National Guard members are allowed to have personal handguns while assigned to Operation Lone Star duties.
The identity of the Texas National Guardsman is being withheld until next of kin are notified by the Texas Military Department.
The Texas Military Department issued a statement on Monday, February 7, confirming the death of the soldier in a “non-mission related incident today.”
Texas Military Department Adjutant General Tracy Norris stated “We are deeply saddened by this loss. We are focused on supporting the Soldier’s family and are providing all available resources.”
The Texas Rangers are investigating the incident resulting in the death of the soldier assigned to Operation Lone Star.
