This work, Air Force TOC-L enhances joint force C2, by Morgan Brown, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright The latest iteration of the Army’s Project Convergence imagined that the National Training Center at Fort Irwin Unmanned boats swarmed enemy ships off San Diego Unmanned and manned aircraft blew up enemy air-defense positions satellites used electromagnetic attacks to scramble enemy satellites Long-range missiles hit enemy positions on the base itself just before troops dropped in from helicopters and rolled in with ground vehicles Then forces had to turn around and defend the base Project Convergence - Capstone 5, which took place over March and April, was the first time the Army’s main network-warfare development effort had focused all its forces on a single scenario Last year Project Convergence divided different capabilities into different events and why it felt a little different for the folks that were participating in it we integrated it all into one coherent warfighting framework,” he said north of it to the Nellis test training facility to [Camp] Pendleton on the coast of California – we integrated all those capabilities in support of a joint task force executing actual missions,” he said across not only Army units but across services and with international partners the service has been working to string together all of its communications and data-sharing gear into one display that every command center can see simultaneously It's not always in the right spot … or the right format That's been our problem: we've had boxes that talk to boxes that talk to other boxes,” said Maj head of the Command and Control Cross-Functional Team at Army Futures Command “And if you want to interact with that data Ellis said the Army has been working with industry to build software that will network everything together and Capstone 5 was their opportunity to prove they could knit all of that data into a visual picture that individual commanders can interact with The exercise also featured a second joint mission in the Indo-Pacific: networking an operation from Hawaii to Japan to the Philippines French Polynesia and Australia and transmitting data to British “PC-C5 showed us that all the data that we're going after all the systems we're testing and learning There are a few other capabilities the Army might need to do these missions well, ideas they can send down to their Transformation-in-Contact units to start developing with defense contractors “We think there's a need for us to combine offensive and defensive fires capabilities,” Vowell said. “Think the offensive missile systems that we have – think HIMARS – versus the defensive missile systems we have –  think Patriot.” The Patriot system is designed to shoot down an incoming missile but in a scenario where a division might need to knock out targets but keep experimenting and keep testing and keep innovating,” Vowell said The Fort Irwin scenario included robotic ground vehicles leading the charge onto the base once enemy defenses had gone down we find more use cases for robots,” Hodne said “So I would just tell you that there's not a pivot as much as there's an expansion of all possibilities We’ve just got to figure out which … ones are the best return on investment.” Help us tailor content specifically for you: Thank you for subscribing! Please check out our other newsletter offerings on our Newsletter page. California-based Army specialist faces murder charges in the death of a fellow soldier The Army on Nov. 20 officially charged Spc. George Cornejo, 26, for the Oct. 28 death of Spc. Andrew Patrick Smith, 27, according to the Army’s Office of the Special Trial Counsel. Smith’s cause of death remains under investigation, according to local media reports Officials detained Cornejo the day after Smith’s death Both Cornejo and Smith were assigned to the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment also known as the “Blackhorse Regiment.” The regiment is permanently assigned to Fort Irwin the Army’s largest combat training center in the lower 48 states “Spc. Smith was loved by many and highly regarded amongst the team,” Col. Kevin Black, commander of the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, said in a social media post our thoughts and prayers are with his family had been working as a construction equipment repairer Military police responded to Smith’s on base residence on Oct Officials transported him to Weed Army Community Hospital at Fort Irwin Cornejo is being held in pretrial confinement at the Naval Consolidated Brig in Miramar, California, the Southern California Newspaper Group reported Smith joined the Army in August 2021 and was assigned to Fort Irwin in March 2022 Army Criminal Investigation Division officials declined further comment government and the military for multiple publications since 2004 and was named a 2014 Pulitzer finalist for a co-written project on witness intimidation (VVNG.com) — Navy Federal Credit Union opened a new branch in Fort Irwin on March 17 This new location is part of Navy Federal’s ongoing commitment to serving more than 10,000 members in the area by providing greater access to in-person financial services and the opening of our new Fort Irwin branch is another way we’re making banking easier and more accessible With such a growing military community in San Bernardino we welcomed the opportunity to expand and open an eighth branch location in the area,” stated Keith Hoskins The new branch is the eighth in the San Bernardino market and is especially appealing to Navy Federal’s members currently located at Fort Irwin who now have easy access to on-base banking making financial management more convenient and accessible “As one of 178 branches on or near military installations worldwide this new branch ensures that the servicemembers and families stationed at Fort Irwin have convenient access to the financial resources and personalized support they deserve We are deeply committed to the San Bernardino community and are proud to continue expanding our footprint to better meet our members wherever they are,” stated Hoskins to demonstrate the credit union’s support of the local community Navy Federal is donating to The Military and Civilian Spouses’ Club of Fort Irwin Navy Federal Credit Union is an American global credit union headquartered in Vienna chartered and regulated under the authority of the National Credit Union Administration Navy Federal is the largest natural member credit union in the United States 📢 Stay connected with the High Desert’s largest news community 🔗 For more local news, visit VVNG.com we’re dedicated to keeping the Victor Valley informed with essential Our newsroom works tirelessly to bring you the latest stories that matter—news that fosters awareness If you value our reporting and want to see it continue local news accessible to everyone—because an informed community is a stronger community The Army has charged a soldier in the death last month of a fellow soldier at the Fort Irwin National Training Center in the desert southeast of Los Angeles Army Office of the Special Trial Counsel at Fort Belvoir Both soldiers were assigned to the 11th Armored Calvary Regiment Cornejo is a construction equipment repairer while Smith was a utilities equipment repairer The Army said military police went to Smith’s residence on the base on Oct He was transported to Weed Army Community Hospital at Fort Irwin Fort Irwin is a major desert combat training facility 70 miles northeast of the town of Victorville in San Bernardino County The Army said the exact cause of death remains under investigation Cornejo was detained the following day as part of the investigation Cornejo is being held in pretrial confinement at the Naval Consolidated Brig in Miramar according to a report from the Southern California Newspaper Group The case remains under investigation by the Army Criminal Investigation Division A preliminary hearing in the case has not been entered in the Army’s judicial docket enlisted in August 2021 and was assigned to duty at Fort Irwin in March 2022 Fort Irwin posted the news of Smith’s death on social media on Oct officials reported his death was still under investigation Smith was loved by many and highly regarded amongst the team,” Capt commander of the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment wrote in a post to the Fort Irwin Facebook page The Army is considering a significant expansion of privatized barracks a concept it has revisited periodically since the 1990s and one that gained renewed momentum under the previous administration As part of a pilot program, construction is expected to begin this summer on a new privately managed facility at Fort Irwin designed to house approximately 500 junior enlisted soldiers The initiative reflects the Army's ongoing struggle to maintain aging infrastructure which has left some service members living in substandard and Read Next: Army Suspends Fort McCoy's First Female Commander Amid Trump Portrait Display Controversy "We're looking at expansion writ large," David Dentino deputy assistant secretary of the Army for installations "Everything is on the table with the new secretary," he added "He comes in from the private equity world so he's a great person to talk to about these types of things." The approach to privatized barracks in the previous administration was tepid given that many of the housing companies the Army currently does business with are often embroiled in scandals outdated plumbing and faulty wiring have plagued privatized military homes drawing scrutiny from lawmakers and military families The pilot project for privatized barracks at Fort Irwin is being built by the Michaels Organization. In 2023, Military.com reported that the Michaels Organization, which manages family housing at Fort Belvoir required military families to sign nondisclosure agreements as part of a settlement involving dangerous living conditions including pest infestations and pervasive mold John O'Donnell, the company's chief executive, was later named in a federal racketeering indictment in 2024 -- though the charges were recently dismissed The Army's barracks system remains deeply underfunded Despite a roughly $2 billion annual budget for barracks maintenance and construction the service faces a growing backlog of necessary repairs estimated at $7.5 billion exacerbated by inflation and years of deferred maintenance the Army is also exploring alternative construction technologies In February, the Department of Defense unveiled its first 3D-printed barracks at Fort Bliss, Texas -- three modest training barracks totaling approximately 5,700 square feet. The buildings were constructed using ICON's Vulcan 3D printer a massive device standing nearly 16 feet tall and 47 feet wide Regular barracks take four to six years to build mostly due to a labyrinth of federal bureaucracy While training barracks are effectively open warehouses and not as complex as long-term living barracks service officials hope 3D-printed facilities can be an avenue to skirt red tape; the printed barracks at Bliss were developed in less than two years Related: These Soldiers Say Mold in Barracks Isn't Just Disgusting, It's Making Them Sick President Donald Trump wants to convert Alcatraz back into a federal prison decades after the California island fortress was.. An Israeli plan to seize the Gaza Strip and expand the military operation has alarmed many in the region Cities from London to Moscow will be awash with parades flyovers and memorials this week as the world marks the 80th.. Democratic lawmakers are asking Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to share plans for cuts to civilian faculty members at the.. a former Fox News host and National Guardsman has attempted to reframe the role of the.. Amid a downsizing campaign that’s poised to overhaul streamline and — in some cases — eradicate bedrock federal agencies.. It's time to get back in step with the veteran community -- not with fanfare Juan Gabriel Orona-Rodriguez is charged with one count each of distribution and possession with intent to.. The White House has backed off President Donald Trump’s stunning social media proposal to change the name of Veterans Day to.. Russian forces intercepted more than 100 Ukrainian drones fired at almost a dozen regions of Russia Visit our Customer Support center for solutions or to contact us This work, Governor’s Military Council Visits Fort Irwin, by SSG Elizabeth Bryson, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright This work, Fort Irwin NCOs Graduate 360 Leader Course, by SSG Elizabeth Bryson, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright A pedestrian was killed in a traffic collision in Fort Irwin, San Bernardino County According to the California Highway Patrol the incident occurred at approximately 5:37 a.m at the intersection of 4th Street and G Street was transported to Weed Army Community Hospital Pedestrian accidents can instantly disrupt your life you should not have to go through it alone we are here to guide you through every step of the legal process Our pedestrian accident attorneys in San Bernardino County are dedicated to helping victims pursue the justice and compensation they are entitled to We approach each case with a strategy tailored to your situation From gathering key evidence and witness statements to working closely with medical providers and assessing your damages we build strong claims focused on achieving full financial recovery Arash Law has earned the trust of clients across California by delivering real results. With over $750 million recovered in settlements and verdicts our firm is known for its relentless pursuit of justice and commitment to client care If you get involved in a pedestrian accident in San Bernardino County you must know the next steps you should take you can protect your rights and strengthen your claim Here are some recommendations on what you can do after an accident: I HAD AN ACCIDENT In 2022, the National Safety Council reported that an estimated 9,188 pedestrians lost their lives in both traffic and non-traffic incidents Non-traffic accidents typically occur in areas such as parking lots Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) showed that 7,522 of those fatalities happened in traffic-related collisions Most pedestrian deaths occurred in urban settings with open roads being the most common locations A significant number of these fatalities happened at night The highest number of fatal pedestrian crashes was recorded on Saturdays While pedestrian deaths during the day remained relatively steady throughout the week reaching their peak on Saturdays and hitting their lowest point on Wednesdays Six people were injured following a five-vehicle crash on the northbound 15 Freeway near Highway 138 in the Cajon Pass A bicyclist sustained serious injuries after being hit by a vehicle in Sacramento on Saturday evening According to the Sacramento Police Department and another woman and two children sustained injuries following a two-vehicle head-on crash in El Dorado Hills A motorcyclist was killed following a suspected DUI crash in Merced on Saturday afternoon Two young men were killed following a suspected DUI crash in Fresno on Friday night and two others sustained non-life-threatening injuries following a multi-vehicle collision in the Westlake community of Los Angeles on Sunday afternoon California’s Powerhouse Accident Lawyers With a consecutively proven track record Disclaimer: Not every one of our firm’s attorneys has received the recognitions stated here Visit the attorneys’ specific profile page under the ‘Our Firm’ tab for specific attorney recognitions (888) 488-1391 Do I Have A Case? Let’s Chat 2960 Wilshire Blvd.Los Angeles, CA 9001024hr Local Line: (213) 277-587824hr Local Line: (310) 277-7529Available by appointment only 333 University Ave. #200Sacramento, CA 9582524hr Local Line: (916) 414-9552Available by appointment only 505 Montgomery St. #1000San Francisco, CA 9411124hr Local Line: (415) 969-7799Available by appointment only 15233 Ventura Blvd. #500Sherman Oaks, CA 9140324hr Local Line: (818) 696-4440Available by appointment only 99 South Almaden Blvd. #600San Jose, CA 9511324hr Local Line: (408) 766-3161Available by appointment only 11801 Pierce St. #200Riverside, CA 9250524hr Local Line: (951) 530-4659Available by appointment only 8880 Rio San Diego Dr #800San Diego, CA 9210824hr Local Line: (619) 431-4840Available by appointment only 185 N. Hill Ave. #201Pasadena, CA 9110624hr Local Line: (626) 723-3933Available by appointment only This website is for informational purposes only and does not provide legal advice Please do not act or refrain from acting based on anything you read on this site Using this site or communicating with the law offices of arash khorsandi through this site does not form an attorney/Client relationship Copyright © 2025 The Law Office of Arash Khorsandi Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Accessibility | Careers WE’VE RECOVERED OVER $750 MILLION FOR OUR CLIENTS More than 125 soldiers will participate in the 28th Annual Long Walk from Fort Irwin National Training Center to the Barstow Veterans Home troopers with the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment will march nearly 40 miles to the veterans home at 100 Veterans Parkway some of the Squadron-Trooper team will relay run from the Mojave Desert-based Fort Irwin to the destination assembly point where they will walk in formation to the Barstow home veterans and soldiers at the home have enjoyed a meal shared conversations and watched presentations The walk has included ceremonial riders and regiment command teams leading the formation and marching in cadence to the veterans home students and downtown shoppers have gathered along the route to cheer the soldiers “There is no other tradition in the United States such as we have with the U.S Army National Training Center in the Annual Long Walk,” organizers stated “It is an amazing display of comradery and patriotism and the Barstow Veterans Home is so happy to welcome this event every year.” The first “Regimental Long Walk” was held in 1997 to commemorate the opening of the Barstow Veterans Home The event sanctioned active-duty service members from Fort Irwin to give local veterans a widely-deserving Daily Press reporter Rene Ray De La Cruz may be reached at RDeLaCruz@VVDailyPress.com Army soldier has been charged with murder in connection to the killing of another soldier last month at Fort Irwin National Training Center in Southern California Army Office of Special Trial Council charged Cornejo with murder on Nov who is from Fontana in San Bernardino County is assigned to the 11th Armored Calvary Regiment where he serves as a construction equipment repairer was found injured at his home at the National Training Center in San Bernardino County by Fort Irwin Military Police He was transported to a local hospital where he died The Army did not specify how Smith died or whether both men knew one another His official cause of death remained under investigation Monday The training center where Smith lived is in the Mojave Desert in Southern California Need legal help? San Bernardino County public defender's mobile law services come to Barstow Cornejo was taken into custody and ordered into pretrial confinement Officials said Cornejo was transferred to the Naval Consolidated Brig in Miramar California where he awaits a preliminary hearing that court date had not been announced and it was not immediately known if Cornejo had obtained an attorney Smith joined the Army in August 2021 and was a native of Rye He was assigned to Fort Irwin in March 2022 where he served as a utilities equipment preparer with the 11th Armored Calvary Regiment Fort Irwin posted the news of his death on social media on Oct officials reported his death was under investigation Smith was loved by many and highly regarded amongst the team," said Kevin Black Commander of the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment The case remained open and active Monday with the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division No further details were provided by officials According to his obituary, Smith was fiercely loyal, and was always there to lend an ear and a helping hand to anyone in a time of need. An Avid sports fan, he loved the Giants and the Yankees and playing basketball with friends, the his family wrote in obituary. "He was proud to be a husband, and even more so excited to become a father," it continues. "He was eagerly awaiting the arrival of his son, Luca in January." Smith leaves behind his wife, Erika and their unborn son, his mother Christine Santillan, his father, William Smith, and his sister Lauren Smith. Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X @nataliealund. About 20 soldiers from the National Training Center and other units at Fort Irwin in California joined dozens of volunteers across the state on Jan. 18 in Los Angeles to distribute food, clothing and hygiene items to victims of the wildfires. The L.A. wildfires in January were among the most destructive natural disasters in California’s modern history. Thousands of homes and buildings were destroyed — leaving entire communities devastated and thousands of residents displaced. Married couple Sgt. Maiah Jackson from Cleveland, Texas, and Sgt. Tijhani Jackson from Kansas City, Mo., were among the soldiers volunteering at the scene. They are both Army 88N Transportation Management Coordinators stationed at Fort Irwin. “California is known for wildfires. What makes this a bigger deal than most [wildfires] is just seeing how detrimental it was,” Tijhani Jackson said in an interview with Stars and Stripes on Tuesday. Maiah Jackson said she felt strongly about wanting to help the victims when she first heard about the wildfires and seeing the tragedies people were experiencing. “I was sympathetic to how they felt emotionally,” she said. The soldiers left the base at 7 a.m. and traveled to 9thirtyla, set up as an evacuation center for wildfire victims and first responders at the time. Until 5 p.m., they helped move packs of water, materials and equipment to designated areas and distributed the items to people who showed up in need. Volunteer personnel also assisted as translators — mostly Spanish — for local residents with a language barrier. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Ian Cabrera (@iancabruhbruh) “It was well organized for a huge warehouse that had a lot of supplies and a lot of equipment I was just glad we were actually making an impact rather than sitting on the sidelines We were actually in the mix of it and helping out people,” Tijhani Jackson said the soldiers had to put aside their emotions and focus on making sure the people got what they needed “We were there to help them as much as possible … They’re in survival mode,” Tijhani Jackson said “I hope the victims are able to recover from what they’ve lost I hope this gives them better hope for the future and whatever they have to endure though this time,” Maiah Jackson said This work, Relinquishment of Command, National Training Center/Fort Irwin, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page A federal judge sentenced a former soldier from Fort Irwin Army Base to 22 years in prison Friday for soliciting pornographic images from two girls who were between 13 and 15 years old A Los Angeles jury convicted Parker William White in August of one count of production of child pornography three counts of receipt of child pornography and one count of possessing child pornography The verdict was returned following a five-day trial Investigators first began looking into White in January of 2022 after receiving a tip from the Bay County Florida Department of Children and Families Authorities determined he had used social media platforms including Snapchat and Instagram to target underage victims He would "groom" the victims by boasting about his military service falsely portraying himself as a fellow teenager "He would send these children sexually explicit videos and photographs of himself via social media and encourage them to 'tease' him back by doing the same," a DOJ statement said White had faced a maximum potential sentence of 100 years in federal prison He has been in federal custody since February of 2023 More: Ex-Fort Irwin soldier found guilty in federal child porn case, groomed victims on Snapchat he will be places on supervised release for the rest of his life A restitution hearing was scheduled for May 2 A Los Angeles County man died in a solo-vehicle rollover crash along Fort Irwin Road north of Barstow on Thursday morning according to California Highway Patrol and San Bernardino County coroner's officials Investigators determined he was driving a 2023 Ford Escape SUV south on Fort Irwin Road at an undetermined speed when he lost control the driver allowed the Ford to veer to the left crossing the northbound lane of Fort Irwin Road and onto the east dirt shoulder," the agency said in a written statement where it began overturning an unknown number of times." $400K worth of Nikes recovered: Two teens arrested in San Bernardino County train burglary was asked to call the CHP Barstow Office at (760) 255-5900 Historic Route 66 was brought to life with a festive sea of people, lights, and fun during the 90th Annual Mardi Gras Parade organized and sponsored by the Kiwanis of Barstow Crossroads according to Army Public Affairs Specialist James Williams III National Training Center units assigned to Fort Irwin joined local Marines in providing soldiers and equipment to complement the many youth organizations and floats participating in the "Wild Wild West"-themed parade that traveled along Main Street on Oct "We take great pride in showing up for our neighbors because they always show up for us when we need them," said Fort Irwin Garrison Commander Col "This is the third time I've been stationed here; the level of Esprit De Corps in seeing our Soldiers march sometime with an 'Abrams,' down of Route 66 at night Army's main battle tank that has participated in previous parades The city of Barstow and Fort Irwin are long-time partners and routinely support each other through joint infrastructure projects ‘The biggest I’ve seen’: High Desert celebrates aviation at dazzling Apple Valley Airshow "We train 20 days straight just about every month It's easy to get tunnel vision so opportunities like this allows us to show our community partners the pride we take in defending them," said Fort Irwin Garrison Senior Enlisted Advisor Command Sgt "Supporting this parade also helps our recruiting mission we get to engage with thousands of people and each of our soldiers are competent Army ambassadors with stories to tell." Tailgating and camping for "a good spot" along the parade route started in the early afternoon “Really neat to see everyone in the community come out to watch.” Mardi Gras Parade early daysThe inaugural Halloween Mardi Gras and Parade was held in Barstow on the evening of Oct and sponsored by the Kiwanis Club and residents The parade was usually followed by kids and youth activities at Barstow Union High School which included serving nearly 1,000 hot dogs After the youngsters were entertained and sent home, adults would dance the night away at the Rose Inn to the music of a 20-piece brass band The adults would finally call it a night when “witches ride back to the moon and black cats scuttle over the back fence and respectable ghosts find their way to ghostland until next Halloween,” the Desert Dispatch reported Daily Press reporter Rene Ray De La Cruz may be reached at RDeLaCruz@VVDailyPress.com Fort Irwin National Training Center officials are seeking the public's help as they search for a missing soldier from Hesperia who failed to report for duty Alejandro Espinola of the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment was reported missing on Thursday Monrovia Canyon Park is located north of Interstate 210 at the base of the Angeles National Forest The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System revealed the 26-year-old Espinola is from Hesperia standing 5 feet 5 inches and weighing 164 pounds he drives a gray 2018 Hyundai Elantra hatchback with California plate 8BTS191 The Fort Irwin’s Criminal Investigation Division supported by the Department of Emergency Services and local law enforcement “The health and safety of our Soldier is our number one concern,” said Col “The chain of command is actively communicating with Pfc Espinola’s family to keep them informed of ongoing search efforts.” The Fort Irwin National Training Center is nearly 50 miles northeast of Barstow in the Mojave Desert of San Bernardino County Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Pfc Espinola should contact the Fort Irwin Criminal Investigation Division at 760-442-9316 or the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department at 760-956-5001 (VVNG.com) — A former Army private based at Fort Irwin was sentenced earlier this week to 264 months in federal prison for producing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) depicting a 14-year-old girl using Snapchat to receive CSAM of her when she was 13 years old possessing CSAM featuring her on his iPhone and for receiving sexually explicit images of a 15-year-old girl via Snapchat was sentenced by United States District Judge André Birotte Jr. who scheduled a restitution hearing for May 2 White will be placed on lifetime supervised release White has been in federal custody since February 2023 At the conclusion of a five-day trial in August 2024 a jury found White guilty of one count of production of child pornography three counts of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography the Department of Children and Families in Bay County Florida received a tip that White was engaging in an online sexual relationship with a 14-year-old girl.  Later investigators found CSAM of her on White’s iPhone as well as CSAM that White had received via Snapchat featuring her and another minor and other social media platforms to find minor “girlfriends” as young as 13 years old White groomed these minor girls by boasting about his military service telling them that they were “beautiful” and “queens,” and pretending to be in love with them White deceptively portrayed himself as teenager to earn their trust White’s behavior would then escalate to a practice that he called “teasing.”  He would send these children sexually explicit videos and photographs of himself via social media and encourage them to “tease” him back by doing the same the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division and the Bay County Sheriff’s Office investigated this case Assistant United States Attorneys Lyndsi C Allsop of the Violent and Organized Crime Section and Laura A Alexander of the Environmental Crimes and Consumer Protection Section prosecuted this case A former U.S. Army soldier received a two-year prison sentence Thursday for posting online threats to kill former colleagues at Fort Irwin and their families faced a potential maximum sentence of five years after pleading guilty in June to one count of sending threats by interstate communication Beyer had been stationed at Fort Irwin in San Bernardino County prior to being court martialed for assault in 2021, the DOJ said in a written statement The video was posted to YouTube in October of 2023 "The video is approximately three minutes in length and contains multiple threats directed at four victims and their families The victims were specific military personnel at Fort Irwin," the statement said The FBI arrested Beyer in November of 2023 More: Ex-soldier convicted of making online threats against Fort Irwin Army Base personnel Attorney for the Central District of California Martin Estrada condemned the crimes against military personnel Beyer’s desire to carry out violence against members of our military and their families led to a federal prison sentence," he said "Our military servicemembers deserve better and we will continue to prosecute those who seek to harm public servants." “My hope is that [my students] feel confident enough with their skills that if I walk out of this class and fall to the floor they feel confident enough to take care of me until EMS arrives,” American Red Cross volunteer Major Taylor Sivley shared about CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) classes at Fort Irwin confidence is the main thing that students should take away from their CPR classes so that they can use their skills to help somebody in the case of an emergency Throughout his two-and-a-half-year journey with the Red Cross Major Sivley has volunteered over 130 hours and has played a monumental role in the development of the Ft Irwin community’s need for CPR classes despite a lack of accessibility veterans and families needed access to CPR classes to qualify for specific jobs in Ft and there was an abundance of people “asking for CPR classes but no one was able to get the certifications they needed.” According to Major Sivley “the closest place they could go was Victorville and that’s a two-hour drive there and a two-hour drive back.” Having previously taught CPR classes with the Red Cross Major Sivley knew how important it was to share these lifesaving skills with his community in Ft Irwin and the Red Cross was an immediate response for Major Sivley Irwin to officially have its own Red Cross office Major Sivley learned that developing a Red Cross program is a team effort involves multiple departments and requires mass collaboration “My experience in the Army helped me understand how to get this program started “It’s other people with the Red Cross and the Villages at Ft Irwin’s help in funding the program and covering the cost of materials CPR classes are offered for free and are accessible to people in the community and an estimated $3,500 has been saved from participant costs (not to mention all those hours of driving) “It was a large team of people who came together to develop this program and I’m just happy I can help,” Major Sivley shared Irwin Red Cross office offers emergency communications hospital and general volunteer opportunities Although he began his Red Cross journey as a general volunteer the Red Cross recognized the need for CPR instruction at Ft Irwin and created a role just for Major Sivley “There may not be a clear-cut job for you right now That willingness to show up and help is what matters.” For more information about Red Cross services for the military community, including active-duty service members, military families and veterans, visit redcross.org/military. Support all the urgent humanitarian needs of the American Red Cross. Find a drive and schedule a blood donation appointment today. has been located safe and sound in Sequoia National Park via an official letter from the Public Affairs Office “We are pleased to announce that Pfc “Notifying his family was a moment of great relief and everyone involved in ensuring his safe return.” The search effort included collaboration between Army CID showcasing a coordinated effort to locate Pfc with no further details available at this time Related Article: Fort Irwin Seeks Public Assistance in Locating Missing Soldier Cast your votes for the 2025 DefenseScoop 50 — voting is open through April 18 This is part one of a two-part series examining how the Army is building its Next Generation Command and Control capability. It is based on several interviews at various locations – to include Austin, Texas, Savannah, Georgia, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, and Fort Irwin, California – over the course of several months. Part two can be found here the Army recently tested its prototype for how soldiers will conduct command and control an entire division will get the capability What began as a proof of concept at Project Convergence Capstone 4 in March 2024 with a rudimentary demo — passing data — has culminated at Capstone 5 in March 2025 with what officials call a proof of principle The Army has been seeking to completely revamp the way it conducts command and control — meaning the way troops communicate on the battlefield Officials have explained that the systems the service has used in the past will not be adequate to win in the future against sophisticated adversaries given the vast amounts of data that exist now and how quickly that information must be passed “We will never achieve our warfighting effectiveness if we don’t have a command-and-control network that enables our commanders to execute mission command at the point of need on the battlefield said March 18 at the annual McAleese Defense Programs Conference “The network is incredibly important probably [the] number one priority for the United States Army for modernization.” military went from the analog world — think pins on cork boards to track troops and plan operations — to the digital world each individual community developed their own systems This led to stovepipes where information and data based on warfighting function couldn’t be transferred effectively because they were bespoke Once the Army decided that this arrangement was no longer suitable a new approach required the big lift of standardizing the data streams and developing the robust network transport to allow data to flow an experimentation effort run by Army Futures Command that will soon transition to a program of record The initiative aims to provide commanders and units with a new approach to information and command and control through agile and software-based architectures Futures Command has been running the experimentation for the system while the acquisition community is in charge of the eventual program of record issuing requests to industry to be able to award contracts shortly after Project Convergence director of the C2 cross functional team at Army Futures Command said in an interview at Project Convergence at Fort Irwin in March Officials explained that testing how to fight in an attack scenario exclusively using the NGC2 architecture is the number one objective for the Army at Project Convergence The ultimate aim was to make sure the service can get the applications that are corps- and division-centric onto a Bradley vehicle or a tank to work on the tactical transport 37th Armor Regiment are testing out the architecture at Capstone 5 along with a brigade command post on top of that and XVIII Airborne Corps headquarters.  At the time DefenseScoop observed equipment and spoke with soldiers from the unit on the ground at Project Convergence at Fort Irwin they had not yet put the system through its paces or gone through the scenario yet — and thus offered their thoughts based on initial familiarity with the system prior to execution The Army developed a horizontal technology stack that goes from a transport layer to an integration layer to a data layer to an application layer This involved the difficult task of working with companies to standardize all the data from each of the warfighting functions and collapsing those functions into applications on a common operating picture Officials noted that the system is hardware agnostic and soldiers and commanders can choose which dashboard they prefer When a soldier logs into their NGC2 splash page they are met with a series of applications they can click such as intelligence C2 and information advantage — as well as an operational modeling tool to provide courses of actions using machine learning capabilities based on the available data in the system consumes and generates flows into one integration layer where ML tools curate it before users interact with it there is a common operational picture with map overlays that forces can see they’re pulling from several different sources and as you go up classification that database is really not the same database that you’re using at the lower level We’ve broken that paradigm and we’re using a single data layer single map service to provide across different platforms software platforms,” Chad Nash project lead for NGC2 with the Army Combat Capabilities Development Command C5ISR Center told DefenseScoop in an interview at Aberdeen Proving Ground in February “For our common operating picture at that application layer we’re sending the same information across those applications and it means the same thing to the other applications.” By shrinking this down and distilling it to an application layer soldiers now all have access to the same data This means operations can be distributed much more — because staff sections can be dispersed given they all have the same access and don’t need to be co-located in a command post to share information — and information about threats can be shared much faster Soldiers indicated that the typical game of “Telephone” on the battlefield has the potential to be eliminated drone feeds were siloed within the intelligence personnel on staff who then had to pass that information to the maneuver personnel either digitally or over radio that information can be readily available to all NGC2 “reduces the stovepipes or the silos of information flow It’s giving all warfighting functions the same access to the data so that we can contribute to the operation with a fight in the same sense It’s enabled our ability to communicate at echelons and across warfighting functions,” Capt 1st Armored Division and the lead planner for the brigade for Capstone 5 “The biggest thing is that data flow across warfighting function That’s going to cut down on a lot of processing times so that everyone in real time has the same picture and can make the most informed decision about the operation.” who will be putting the system through its paces command and control on the battlefield is essential for him to be able to perform his tasks Command and control of the force on the battlefield is information delivered quickly enough so I can make a good decision or the best decision that I can make based on the information,” Lt “As I’ve been messing with the Next Gen C2 I’ve actually been quite impressed with how light it is and still being able to have all the information which creates an easier redundancy for us in a cab on the move compared to what we would usually have.” The system will likely be able to provide him greater on-the-move capability negating the need to stop on the battlefield to establish communications and gain updates It will have the ability to disperse his staff sections and vehicles which will ultimately make his formation more survivable and harder to target by the enemy given they won’t all be bunched together like they were prior to NGC2 The tool will also enable better and faster decision-making because access to more data in real time will allow for changes in courses of action “The fact that I’m getting similar information and I’ve got layers that people are building I can [also] make better decisions because I’m actually getting the information that I need across the different type of warfighting functions,” he said Ellis also noted that logistics personnel are now able to monitor munitions stocks in real time of forces in contact and have a much more realistic view of what their levels are and what needs to be replenished and where “With the future potential to integrate it with the systems on the tank so that in real time it could track the ammunition that I’ve expended and automatically report that from a tank crew level to a company level and aggregate that data and pass it to our higher headquarters to both inform their ability to make decisions on how much combat power we have remaining,” Capt “That also helps us predict when we need to conduct resupply and when we can expect to receive resupply it could go a long way for managing.” Ellis noted that the Army has been thinking about how it will manage that architecture and infrastructure — such as the operating system and the applications that go into it through a military-like app store though exactly how is still being determined “That governance is getting written now We absolutely acknowledge that that’s a piece of this but we’re going to have to run the governance over top of that to make sure that we don’t just turn it into a free for all,” he said the architecture provides wireless transport local to vehicles such as tanks and Bradleys for augmented reality goggles for commanders at echelon to have greater situational awareness of the battlespace the goggles allow them to see position location information data on their headsets tankers don’t always know where their friendly forces are located or where the enemy is The AR goggles quickly determine where everybody is and allow for rapid actions such as call for fires and maneuver with a function to point and draw on the system The architecture also attempts to realize Chief of Staff Gen will replace and combine mounted and dismounted systems The intent was for soldiers to have a tablet in their vehicles for their mission command with the ability to take it out when at the halt The way forces currently conduct mission command is there’s a variety of different platforms that are in vehicles and soldiers have dismounted they can put their tablet in the vehicle and take it off when the vehicle stops providing the same picture to anyone and allowing them to drill down into more specific information or maps if needed This will give units the ability to move faster because they can take their tablets out move them to the command post for a couple of minutes and then put them back in their vehicles to move again.   To make the Project Convergence experimentation happen DEVCOM had to fabricate cables and racks that were 3D printed to mount all the antennas and communications equipment to the battalion’s vehicles sought to improve how the service conducts command and control and he tasked two individuals to “fix the network.” chief digital and artificial intelligence officer at Futures Command and Col director of tactical applications and architecture at Futures Command Their two-part plan involved getting each warfighting function off their individual box and then getting rid of everyone’s individual data models hardware-agnostic ecosystem that everybody sees the same data at the same time,” Skaggs said at the Army Vertex conference in November of the overall goal Despite having no formal acquisition or technical background both colonels have been users of these types of systems in both the conventional and special operations communities “I was part of the [Distributed Common Ground System] wars I went in and out of developing that program and then helped some of it [with] the follow-on program … I learned a lot of lessons on both how and how not to interact with industry and how you should build a system,” Skaggs said the Army began at Project Convergence Capstone 4 last year with a demonstration that sought to showcase data being passed That demo provided the initial proof of concept for what NGC2 could become leading the Army to build that out over the course of the next year “If we didn’t show the capability and what was possible at PCC4 we’re not having this conversation right now Next Gen C2 never happens,” Kaloostian said Futures Command and subordinate organizations built upon the notion at various stages which is a field-based experimentation event the NGC2 architecture had its first experiment with a degraded environment The Army sought to test how transport modalities would work if the network was strained what the military calls DDIL or “denied how do we transport that data to the point of need how do we do it in a DDIL environment if we are disconnected so that we can marshal national and reach-back capabilities all the way to the tactical edge?” Gingrich said That process sought to get it in line for Project Convergence Capstone 5 where the architecture ran classified information for the first time at scale Between then and all the additional events the Army worked with most of the same vendors to shrink the development loop and get faster results “We went from pretend stuff and say this is a pretend node which is there is a real armored platoon leader and a real armored battalion commander that has taken real vehicles real soldiers out in the field,” he said The Army took the architecture to the Combined Joint Systems Integration Laboratory for a validation event for about a month to work out the kinks prior to Capstone 5 That facility allows the service to completely replicate the tactical network and environment in a lab prior to getting systems on the ground in order to run tests and diagnostics to mitigate technical glitches on day one of an exercise “One of our challenges or opportunities was replicating a lab-based environment and not having them go to a demo site to perform an experiment and then collect all the data and come back We’re able to do that here in a lab environment with the engineers to do a technical evaluation,” Nash said capability providing us the transport and network capabilities here in the CJSIL has been essential and instrumental for us moving forward because it really set the stage and allowed us to work through any of the kinks here see the functionality and replicate challenges or replicate failures and mitigate those significant” problems Following this year’s Capstone event the Army will be taking all the equipment off the vehicles and bringing it to 4th Infantry Division Additional experimentation will be undertaken by 4th ID — along with a brigade from 25th ID — while the program office works the acquisition component Officials noted that what comes out of Project Convergence won’t be the final solution and more refinement needs to be done It’s important to begin division experimentation as the Army is moving to make the division the primary unit of action instead of brigade light infantry units have been chosen as the first to experiment with new network capabilities because they are easier to integrate with given their lighter footprint and fewer vehicles The Army wanted to start with the most difficult formation — armored — for NGC2 as a means of working those kinks out early and level setting the Army as a whole There was some thought internally that if those lighter units continued to get the latest and greatest the disparity between formations within the Army would become even greater as heavies would be even farther behind “The intent here is to flip that entire model and start with the most difficult divisions first Then work the light divisions [that] are easy,” Kaloostian said The Army is expecting a contract for the official program to be awarded in May followed by more experimentation and fielding Part two of this series will focus on acquisition and how officials believe NGC2 will succeed where other efforts in the past have not. Part two can be found here Army soldier reported missing earlier this month after failing to report for duty was found safe Tuesday in Sequoia National Park Alejandro Espinola of the Army's 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment was reported missing on July 18 The Hesperia resident had last been seen at Monrovia Canyon Park in Los Angeles County which is closed to the public due to prior mud and debris slides 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment Commander Col Kevin Black thanked law enforcement officials and everyone else who searched for the missing soldier Espinola's family to tell them that he is safe." More: Search continues for missing Fort Irwin soldier from Hesperia, public's help requested This work, 10th SFG (A) Special Forces Operators complete training rotation in California desert, by SFC Anthony Bryant, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright A federal jury convicted a former U.S. Army soldier based at Fort Irwin of possessing and producing child pornography via social media of New York was found guilty Wednesday of three counts of receiving child pornography one count of production of child pornography and one count of possession of the illicit material Adelanto abuse investigation: Suspect arrested in child sex abuse investigation, additional victims sought The case involved two girls who White interacted with through the social media app Snapchat, DOJ spokesman Ciaran McEvoy said in a written statement Investigator learned in January 2022 that White had been involved in an "online sexual relationship" with a 14-year-old girl and had received inappropriate images of her dating back to when she was 13 years old officials learned White had also received images from a 15-year-old girl via Snapchat and other social media platforms to find minor 'girlfriends' as young as 13 years old White groomed these minor girls by boasting about his military service telling them that they were 'beautiful' and 'queens,' and pretending to be in love with them," McEvoy said White deceptively portrayed himself as teenager to earn their trust." White then sent inappropriate images of himself to the victims and requested they do the same He has been jailed without bond since his arrest in February 2023 White faces a minimum prison term of 15 years and a maximum of 100 years behind bars when he returns to federal court in Los Angeles for sentencing on Feb The case was part of the DOJ's "Project Safe Childhood," launched in 2006 to combat online child sexual exploitation (VVNG.com) –Fort Irwin officials are requesting public assistance in locating U.S a member of the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment According to a Facebook post by Missing People in America individuals close to Espinola noted signs of distress It is also believed that he may have discarded his phone The search for PFC Espinola is being conducted by Fort Irwin’s Criminal Investigation Division (CID) with support from the Department of Emergency Services (DES) and local law enforcement Efforts are being made to utilize all available resources in the search “The health and safety of our Soldier is our number one concern,” said Col “The chain of command is actively communicating with PFC Espinola’s family to keep them informed of ongoing search efforts,” he added Anyone with information on the whereabouts of PFC Espinola is urged to contact Fort Irwin CID at (760) 442-9316 or local law enforcement This work, 3rd Infantry Division's 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team attends National Training Center, by SPC Rebeca Soria, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright U.S. Army investigators are asking for the public's help in searching for a soldier who did not report for duty last week from training in Southern California According to a press release issued Sunday by officials at Fort Irwin National Training Center in San Bernardino County Army PFC Alejandro Espinola of the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment (ACR) failed to report for duty on Thursday Officials said he was last seen on Friday at Monrovia Canyon Park outside of Los Angeles "The health and safety of our soldier is our number one concern," Col commander of the 11th ACR said in the release “The chain of command is actively communicating with PFC Espinola’s family to keep them informed of ongoing search efforts.”  'Mind-boggling': Woman shoots baby in leg over $100 drug debt, police say Army officials described Espinola as 5 feet According to an updated press release issued Monday he may be driving a 2018 black Hyundai Elantra GT hatchback with the California license plate 8BTS191 Anyone with information about his whereabouts is asked to contact the U.S Army Criminal Investigation Division or the Fort Irwin Resident Unit Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X @nataliealund Army & Air Force Exchange Service officials are preparing to unveil its $15.7 million 24-hour Mojave Express Store at the Fort Irwin National Training Center Mojave Express will include a 10-pump gas station and a food truck plaza with outdoor seating The grand opening is scheduled at 1:30 p.m The location is across from Burger King and Popeyes “The completion of the new Express represents a significant Quality-of-Life investment at the remote California post their families and those who work on Fort Irwin the same services and tastes of home they would enjoy at much larger or less isolated installations,” said Fort Irwin officials in a written statement Military officials attending the event will include: The Army & Air Force Exchange Service is the Department of Defense’s largest military retailer Reservists and military families at more than 5,000 facilities on U.S One of the Army’s most remote installations nearly 40 miles from the closest major highway and roughly halfway between Los Angeles and Las Vegas Fort Irwin is one of the Army’s “Big Four” installations along with Fort Cavazos targeted for upgrades as posts that are either remote This work, Army & Air Force Exchange Service Celebrates Grand Opening of $15.7 Million Express at Fort Irwin, by Travis Day, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright An ex-soldier pleaded guilty Friday to a federal charge for posting a YouTube video in which he threatened to kill four of his former colleagues at Fort Irwin Army Base and their families of Petaluma admitted to one count of sending threats by interstate communication in federal court in Riverside He had been a soldier assigned to Fort Irwin before being court martialed for assault in 2021 Beyer posted a three-minute video to his personal YouTube page in October of 2023, which "contains multiple threats directed at four victims and their families," McEvoy said in an written statement "The victims were specific military personnel at Fort Irwin." FBI agents took Beyer into federal custody in November of 2023 He was scheduled to return to court for a sentencing hearing on Sept He faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison Assistant Director in Charge at the FBI's Los Angeles Field Office Akil Davis said his agency's Joint Terrorism Task Force will investigate and prosecute any and all threats to American military personnel Beyer sought to take his personal vengeance out on innocent military members honorably serving their country More: SoCal task force recovers $8 million in stolen cargo, 20 stolen cars; meth lab dismantled U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California Martin Estrada said service members deserve "our utmost appreciation and respect, not fear and intimidation." "Threats against our servicemembers, as against all public servants, cannot and will not be tolerated," he said. Print Singer-rapper Sean Kingston was arrested in San Bernardino County on Thursday hours after a SWAT team raided his rented mansion in South Florida Kingston, known for hits “Beautiful Girls” and “Fire Burning,” was arrested near the Fort Irwin Army base without incident in connection to a Florida warrant, the Broward County Sheriff’s Office confirmed to the Associated Press was detained hours after his 61-year-old mother SWAT officers descended Thursday afternoon on Kingston’s rented mansion in Southwest Ranches an affluent Fort Lauderdale suburb that touts action star Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson among its high-profile residents A spokesperson for the Broward County Sheriff’s Department did not immediately respond to The Times’ request Friday for more details about the arrests Pop & Hiss This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos Law enforcement officers could be seen after the raid loading a van with goods, AP said. Video from NBC6 South Florida showed several high-end vehicles — including a Mercedes-Benz a pair of Bentleys and a Tesla — parked outside the property a legal representative for the “Eenie Meenie” singer (real name Kisean Anderson) and his mother told AP on Thursday he is “aware of allegations” against his clients and is “confident of a successful resolution.” Before his own arrest the Jamaica-raised artist seemingly addressed the raid and his mother’s arrest on Instagram “People love negative energy,” he wrote in a since-expired Instagram story and so is my mother!..my lawyers are handling everything as we speak.” Kingston and his mother have both faced legal troubles Turner pleaded guilty in 2006 to bank fraud for stealing more than $160,000 and served nearly a 18 months in prison She is being held at Broward County’s Main Jail in lieu of a $160,000 bond Kingston, who was hospitalized in 2011 for a near-fatal jet ski crash, was sued in February for allegedly defrauding a Florida company that installed a 232-inch TV in his home who sued Kingston and was present for the raid told AP that the search was partly connected to the lawsuit Music You’re the teen prince of the summer’s signature song an innocent but cunning confection that’s seeped into nearly everyone’s consciousness in Doppler form from so many cars blasting it out of souped-up speakers Card’s complaint alleges that Kingston reached out to Ver Ver Entertainment about buying the $150,000 television The musician allegedly told Ver Ver Entertainment‘s owners that he and “Eenie Meenie” collaborator Justin Bieber would do commercials for the company if they agreed to a lower down payment but the commercials never came to fruition Kingston and Bieber have not released a song together since their 2010 hit “It is amazing what you can get away with if you are a celebrity,” the attorney told AP on Thursday His mother is a necessary component in this He presents himself as a family-oriented guy ‘I’m taking care of my mom,’ but she knows full well what is going on.” Kingston will remain in California pending extradition to Florida. Alexandra Del Rosario is an entertainment reporter on the Los Angeles Times Fast Break Desk. Before The Times, she was a television reporter at Deadline Hollywood, where she first served as an associate editor. She has written about a wide range of topics including TV ratings, casting and development, video games and AAPI representation. Del Rosario is a UCLA graduate and also worked at the Hollywood Reporter and TheWrap. Music World & Nation Entertainment & Arts Lifestyle Subscribe for unlimited accessSite Map This work, Fort Irwin breaks ground on new Simulations Center, by Kimberly Hackbarth, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright This work, Volunteers of Fort Irwin—Desert Heroes, by Casey Slusser, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright This work, Denzel Washington, Michael B. Jordan wrap filming at NTC and Fort Irwin, by Janell Ford, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright  Mar 11, 2020Army Pfc. Justin Candido Kirby was killed in a vehicle accident within the training grounds of the National Training Center, Calif, March 9, 2020. (Army)A soldier who died within the training grounds at Fort Irwin on Monday has been identified by post officials Pfc. Justin Candido Kirby, 21, was killed in a vehicle accident at the National Training Center Another soldier was injured in the incident The accident took place on the unit’s third training day and involved an M1113 HMMWV performing combat maneuvers The other injured soldier was picked up by a military helicopter and brought to University Medical Center of Southern Nevada He has already been released after being medically cleared by hospital staff Kirby was assigned to Regimental Headquarters and Headquarters Troop Kirby was well known across the regiment and his passing has deeply affected us all,” regiment commander Col “Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and his fellow Soldiers.” it comes one week after Army Chief of Staff Gen James McConville told Congress he is concerned about the rise in training accidents and deaths In fiscal year 2019, the Army suffered a total of 55 Class A mishaps and 61 Class B mishaps, 28 soldier casualties and $362 million in damaged or lost equipment not related to losses in combat “I’m very concerned about some of the training exercises we had where .. we lost some soldiers very tragically,” McConville said The large number and cost of mishaps comes as the Army increasingly focuses on large-scale combat “Some of this is getting back to being around very large and expensive equipment which is very different than what we were doing before," he added "All of sudden you have armored vehicles moving in very difficult terrain.” The accident that took Kirby’s life occurred in a light utility vehicle and the cause of the accident has not been released