Preliminary Loss Reports (PLRs)

A 38-year-old Major assigned to Walter Reed Medical Center, Maryland, died in an off-duty Sports, Recreation and Physical Training mishap 7 August 2025 in Bethesda, Maryland, at 1230 local. The Soldier was found unresponsive in a pool while participating in a swimming event for the German Sports Badge. He was transported to a local emergency room for treatment and admitted to the intensive care unit. He died three days later. Additional information is currently unavailable.

Since FY20, the Army has lost an average of nine Soldiers a year to off-duty Sports, Recreation and Physical Training mishaps. This mishap was the eighth off-duty Sports, Recreation and Physical Training fatality of FY25 and above the number of fatalities for this same time last year. This was also the sixth off-duty water-related fatality of FY25.

Safety Tips

Safety is the first concern when Soldiers train or compete in and around water. The following factors are important:

• Know the swimming ability level of each Soldier.
• Monitor Soldiers for overexertion and fatigue.
• Encourage Soldiers to communicate symptoms of overexertion and fatigue.
• Ensure instructors/lifeguards are properly trained and certified.
• Make sure appropriate safety equipment is serviceable and on-site.
• Use the buddy system. (Pair a strong swimmer with a weaker one.)
• Have safety and emergency action plans in place and verify all participants understand them.

The Off-Duty Safety Awareness Presentation includes a section dedicated to water-related activities that contains statistics, contributing factors, prevention tips and other relevant information. You can download the full presentation or the Water-Related Activities breakout from the In the Spotlight Series at https://safety.army.mil/ODSAP.

A Corporal assigned to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, died in an off-duty Weapons and Explosives mishap 9 August 2025 in Hope Mills, North Carolina, at 2030 local. The Soldier was demonstrating a new pistol to his brother when a discharged round struck him in the head. The Soldier’s wife immediately contacted emergency medical services personnel, who transported him to Cape Fear Medical Center. The Soldier was pronounced dead one hour later. Additional information is currently unavailable.

Since FY20, the Army has lost an average of two Soldiers a year to off-duty Weapons and Explosives mishaps. This mishap was the third off-duty Weapons and Explosives fatality of FY25 and above the number of fatalities for this same time last year.

Safety Tips

1. Treat every weapon as if it were loaded. This is the most important of all the safety rules. By treating all weapons as though they are loaded, mishaps can be avoided. “I didn’t know the gun was loaded” is the poorest excuse for carelessness.
2. Don’t trust the safety mechanisms. Although these devices are designed to mechanically prevent a weapon from firing, they are mechanical and subject to wear. Always keep the safety “ON” when not shooting, but remember it is not a 100 percent guarantee against the weapon firing.
3. Always make sure a weapon is cleared before handling or cleaning. Because it is impossible to determine whether a weapon is loaded just by looking at it, never assume or take another’s word that it is empty. It only takes a second to check, and the time spent may save a life. Whenever you pick up a firearm, immediately engage the safety device if possible, and if the weapon has a magazine, remove it before opening the action and looking into the chamber(s), which should be clear of ammunition. If you do not know how to open the action or inspect the chamber(s), leave the firearm alone and get help from someone who does.
4. Unload weapons when not in use. Unloaded weapons cannot discharge even if they fall into unfamiliar hands.
5. Always keep the weapon pointed in a safe direction. A safe direction means that the firearm is pointed so that even if it were to go off, it would not cause injury or damage. The key to this rule is to control where the muzzle or front end of the barrel is pointed at all times. When this practice is conscientiously followed, injuries, damage or even death may be avoided should you accidentally discharge the weapon.
6. Point weapons only at targets you intend to shoot. Never point a gun at yourself or another person. Insist that others abide by this rule.
7. Avoid horseplay. Firearms are deadly and must be treated with the respect they deserve. They are not toys.
8. Always keep your finger off the trigger until ready to shoot. When holding a firearm, rest your finger on the trigger guard until you are actually ready to fire.
9. Be sure the firearm is safe to operate. Just like other tools, firearms need regular maintenance to remain operable. If there is any question concerning a firearm's ability to function, a knowledgeable gunsmith should look at it.
10. Know how to use the firearm safely. Before handling a firearm, learn how it operates. Get training and read the owner’s manual. Know its basic parts, how to safely open and close the action, and remove any ammunition from the firearm or magazine. Remember, a firearm’s mechanical safety device is never foolproof. Nothing can ever replace safe weapons handling.

The USACRC website contains numerous resources to address privately owned weapons safety.

• Off-Duty Safety Awareness Presentation
• Safety Shorts
• For more information: https://safety.army.mil/OFF-DUTY/Privately-Owned-Weapons

A 23-year-old Specialist assigned to Fort Hood, Texas, died in an automobile mishap 29 July 2025 near Farmington, New Mexico, at 1500 local. The Soldier and his spouse were returning to home station from pre-deployment leave when their vehicle collided head-on with another vehicle that was passing other cars. The Soldier and his spouse were both declared dead at the scene. Additional information is currently unavailable. 

Since FY20, the Army has lost an average of 36 Soldiers a year to automobile mishaps. This mishap was the 26th automobile fatality of FY25 and below the number of fatalities for this same time last year. 

Safety Tips

You can help prevent a potential head-on collision before it occurs. The National Safety Council has developed a lifesaving method for drivers to use: The four R’s.

• Read the road ahead. Scan ahead to the top of the next hill, curve or intersection to recognize hazards. This’ll help you see and react faster if an oncoming vehicle crosses the centerline. Also, check the shoulder of the road to see if you’ve got room to pull over. Watch the space between the left-front tire of any approaching vehicle and the centerline. If the spacing is becoming smaller, that vehicle may be about to stray into your lane.
• Drive to the right. Drive slightly to the right of center of your lane to create an extra space between you and other vehicles. On multi-lane roadways, leave one lane to the left open. When facing a head-on collision, drive right, onto the shoulder. Never swerve into the left lane. If the other driver instinctively pulls their vehicle back into the proper lane, you’ll have a collision in that lane.
• Reduce your speed. If you see a hazard ahead, immediately reduce your speed. This gives you extra time and gives the oncoming driver time to recover and move back into the correct lane. Don’t slam on the brakes or swerve. And never stop your vehicle. If you stop completely, you may be struck from behind – and potentially pushed forward into the oncoming vehicle.
• Ride off the road. If you have to choose between a head-on collision and riding onto the shoulder, your chances of survival are much better on the shoulder. If you must hit something, steer your vehicle to hit the object with a glancing blow rather than head-on. Every inch off center reduces the impact of the collision – and increases your chance for survival.

Tips provided by the National Safety Council

A 36-year-old Second Lieutenant assigned to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, died in an off-duty Sports, Recreation and Physical Training mishap 24 July 2025 in Pinehurst, North Carolina, at 1500 local. The Soldier was found unresponsive in a private, off-post pool. The homeowner immediately contacted emergency medical services personnel, who transported the Soldier to FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Additional information is currently unavailable. 

Since FY20, the Army has lost an average of nine Soldiers a year to off-duty Sports, Recreation and Physical Training mishaps. This mishap was the seventh off-duty Sports, Recreation and Physical Training fatality of FY25 and above the number of fatalities for this same time last year. This was also the fifth off-duty water-related fatality of FY25.

Swimming Pool Safety Tips

• Do not enter headfirst unless you are in a pool that has a safe diving area.
• Stay away from drains and other openings that cause suction.
• Swim with a buddy.
• Only swim when supervised by a water watcher.
• Swim sober.
• Supervise others sober and without distractions, such as reading or talking on or using a cellphone.
• Know what to do in a water emergency, including how to help someone in trouble in the water safely, call for emergency help and CPR.

For more information on water-related safety, visit https://safety.army.mil/OFF-DUTY/Sports-and-Recreation/Water-Safety.

A 25-year-old Specialist assigned to U.S. Army Reserve Command died in an automobile mishap 12 July 2025 near Madera, California, at 0330 local. The Soldier was on his way to battle assembly when he collided head-on with a vehicle, resulting in a post-crash fire. Additional information is currently unavailable. 

Since FY20, the Army has lost an average of 36 Soldiers a year to automobile mishaps. This mishap was the 25th automobile fatality of FY25 and below the number of fatalities for this same time last year.

Safety Tips

Whatever the source — lack of or poor-quality sleep, long hours of work or driving, shift work, stress or sleep disorders — fatigue affects your ability to drive safely. Driver fatigue is a major workplace safety risk.

• As many as one in five fatal crashes in the general population involve driver fatigue.
• Companies use a fatigue risk management system to promote alertness among workers, identify fatigue-prone tasks and lessen fatigue and its potential consequences.
• After 17 consecutive hours awake, impairment is equivalent to having a blood alcohol content (BAC) of .05. After 24 hours awake, impairment is equivalent to a BAC of .10.
• A survey of the U.S. workforce found that 37% of workers got less than the recommended minimum of seven hours of sleep.
• Most adults need seven to nine hours of sleep each day.

Causes of fatigue

• Being awake for many consecutive hours
• Not getting enough sleep over multiple days
• Time of day (Your body has a sleep/wake cycle that tells you when to be alert and when it’s time to sleep. The urge to sleep is most intense in the early morning hours.)
• Monotonous tasks or long periods of inactivity
• Health factors (e.g., sleep disorders or medications that cause drowsiness)

Effects of fatigue on driving

• Nodding off
• Reacting more slowly to changing road conditions, other drivers or pedestrians
• Making poor decisions
• Drifting from your lane
• Experiencing tunnel vision (when you lose sense of what's going on in the periphery)
• Experiencing microsleeps (brief sleep episodes lasting from a fraction of a second up to 30 seconds)
• Forgetting the last few miles driven

What you can do

• Plan your off-duty activities to allow enough time for adequate sleep.
• Get enough sleep (seven to nine hours each day). If fatigue persists after adequate sleep, get screened for health problems that may be affecting your sleep, such as sleep apnea.
• Create a sleeping environment that helps you sleep well — a dark, quiet, cool room with no electronics.
• If you feel fatigued while driving, pull over, drink a cup of coffee and take a 15- to 30-minute nap before continuing. The effects are only temporary. The only "cure" for fatigue is sleep.
• Watch yourself and your peers for fatigue-related symptoms.
• Report instances of fatigue in yourself and others to your direct supervisor, who can help determine the safest course of action.