Army accident happened
early in drill

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By Gregg K. Kakesako
gkakesako@starbulletin.com

The four 25th Infantry Division soldiers involved in Sunday night's training accident had nearly completed a trench-clearing exercise when a fragmentation hand grenade detonated, according to a division spokeswoman.

The accident injured three of the soldiers, one of whom remains hospitalized, and killed Spec. David G. Rubic of San Diego.

Rubic died early Monday morning at Queen's Medical Center, where he had been taken by medical helicopter from a training range at Schofield Barracks.

Pvt. Adam Newton was in stable condition at Tripler Army Medical Center with leg injuries last night.

Released from the hospital were Capt. Mark C. Houston, A Company commander; and Lt. Col. Thomas P. Guthrie, who heads the 2nd Battalion. All four soldiers were members of the 2nd Battalion, 27th Infantry, 3rd Brigade.

Capt. Stacy Bathrick, 25th Infantry Division spokeswoman, last night said none of the soldiers had entered the trench obstacle course when the grenade exploded.

Bathrick said A Company, led by Houston, had been undergoing six days of platoon live fire exercises that involved trench clearing activities.

"Each of the three platoons in the company was required to complete four repetitions of the drill," Bathrick said. This involved running through the trenches firing blanks during the day, then doing it again with live ammunition.

They then repeated the same cycle at night, first attacking the trenches using blank ammunition and then with live rounds.

The soldiers were about to begin the night live-fire part of the exercise when the accident occurred, Bathrick said.

Besides using live M67 fragmentation grenades, the soldiers also were firing M-4 rifles, M-240 and M-249 machine guns and 60mm mortars.

Bathrick said the squad of soldiers were supposed to enter the trenches when the accident occurred. No other details were provided.

Houston was serving as the range safety officer, and Guthrie was the evaluator for the exercise, she said.

Rubic's unit, known as the Wolfhounds, will hold a private memorial ceremony for him later this week at Schofield Barracks main post.