The Protector

3

ARMY RANGERS DIE ON TRAINING MISSION

Camp Rudder, Florida, April 24 (AP)-The commander of Camp Rudder, headquarters for the Army Sixth Ranger Training Battalion, confirmed that fifteen Army Rangers had drowned in a swamp two nights earlier while on a training exercise. The announcement had been delayed, he said, so that family members could be notified.

"We're still trying to determine what happened," Lt. Col. Robert Boland said. "We train in that area all the time, but we almost never have problems. Granted, last night was unusually cold for this time of year, and recent rains had made the water unusually high. But these men were Rangers. At this stage in their training, they'd already been taught to endure much more difficult conditions. All we know is they didn't make radio contact when they were supposed to."