FORT POLK, La. (CLARKSVILLENOW) – A 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) Soldier died May 10 from injuries sustained during a live-fire training exercise at the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk, La.
A Fort Campbell press release said soldiers and Department of Emergency Services personnel responded immediately to the incident, where the soldier was transported to Bayne-Jones Army Community Hospital on Fort Polk where he was later pronounced deceased.
On Thursday, Fort Campbell officials identified the soldier as Pfc. Victor J. Stanfill, an infantryman with Company A, 2nd Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, “Rakkasans.”
According to Bob Jenkins with Fort Campbell Public Affairs Office (PAO), the initial release was made by the PAO at Fort Polk since the accident occurred there.
“DIV PAO here localized the release, all in an effort to acknowledge the incident and fatality. Limited info was available as the incident was under investigation,” Jenkins said.
By DoD regulation, release of the name of a casualty cannot take place until 24-hours after the last of the next of kin are notified.
“Once we knew next of kin notification was complete, we told our callers and those who emailed or private messaged us, ‘Casualty notification to NOK is complete. If you haven’t been notified, it wasn’t your Soldier,'” Jenkins said.
A Facebook post from 3rd Brigade Combat Team said the family of the soldier has been notified.
“We unfortunately had a fatality in the Rakkasan Brigade Combat Team while at the Joint Readiness Training Center, Fort Polk, La. Those affected have been notified at this time. If you have heard nothing, then your loved one was not affected,” the post said.
