National Guard Member Dies During Training at U.S.-Mexico Border

HARRISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA (AP) -- A Pennsylvania National Guard member died after collapsing during a training mission in the 100-plus degree heat of the Arizona-Mexico border, a guard spokesman said Friday.

Spc. Kirsten Fike was two hours into the first day of a border surveillance mission when she collapsed on Wednesday. She died the next day, guard spokesman Capt. Cory Angell said.

http://wtol.com/Global/story.asp?S=5269556

things like this happen all the time when you don't understand the climate you are going into. we have mexicans die in the desert all the time. it takes time to become acclimated to this weather. it took me a year. we can't expect them to make the transition instantly! that's ridiculous!

Drinking water is not an option in that environment, and enforcement of hydration is a task that the Sergeants are tasked with. Someone's head is going to roll for this.

I don't know but believe that her leaders should not have had her out in that heat (or his fellow troops from PA) for a couple of days for more than a few hours - or - they should have INSISTED that they emptied at least one canteen by Noon and the second by 5 PM.

It seems that they did the foregoing with regard to ensuring hydration.

Still, troops from cooler climates take a few days for their bodies to adjust to the heat.

In the desert, you BAKE, but you DO NOT SWEAT. Often people from cooler and/or more humid climates don't realize that they are losing hydration and often succumb to heat exhaustion. It's tragic that she raced past that straight to heat stroke. :cry:

Having grown up in Tx and lived in the desert SW. I cannot believe they did not allow for climatization. They probably had her wearing all kinds of heavy gear and moving around like she was in PA (I was USAR-I know how dumb the leaders can be). It takes a couple to die before they get a clue. Wonder if they had any training on heat stroke and heat exhaustion before they went to the border.
There is a reason why we move slow down here and it isn't because we are stupid or lazy.

Full story: http://apnews.excite.com/article/20060811/D8JEFCR00.html

Guard Member Dies After 104-Degree Heat
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Aug 11, 5:28 PM (ET)


HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - A Pennsylvania National Guard member died after collapsing in 104-degree heat on her first day patrolling the Arizona-Mexico border, a guard spokesman said Friday.

Spc. Kirsten Fike was two hours into the training mission near Yuma when she collapsed Wednesday. She died the next day at a hospital, guard spokesman Capt. Cory Angell said.


In this undated photo released by the Fike family, Pennsylvania National Guard Spc. Kirsten Fike is shown. Fike, 36, was two hours into the first day of a border surveillance mission in the 100-plus degree heat of the Arizona-Mexico border when she collapsed on Wednesday, Aug. 9, 2006. She died the next day, Guard spokesman Capt. Cory Angell said. (AP Photo/The Fike Family)


Angell said the guard has not yet determined the cause of death.

Fike, 36, joined the guard in June after having served on active duty in the Air Force. She was a member of the Greensburg-based detachment of the 28th Military Police Co. About 60 members of the company were serving their annual two-week training by working along the border.

when the military suspends training for SAFETY.

I smell a lawsuit.

20 years ago I was AF reserves out of Colorado -- a MAPS unit. They sent us to Tulsa for our 2 weeks -- 12 hour shifts of loading and off-loading C-141's and 130's.

I was in my mid-twenties and very fit, but weighed about 120 soaking wet, which is pretty thin for me (I'm female). The temps were about 110 and the humidity was very high. After about 4 hours of working, I'm taking a short break with my Sgt., sitting on the back bay door of one of the aircraft -- it was about 9 am. We're wearing fatigue pants, steel toes, green t-shirts and our ball caps. I'm chatting about something when he looks over at me and asks if I'm feeling okay.

Sure, I say. Down he jumps, grabs me off the door and throws me over his shoulder (with me thinking he has lost his mind). He sprints to the port office, opens the door and carries me into the air conditioning. That' the last thing I remembered until I woke up in the hospital on a cooling bed. My temperature was 105 and climbing when they got to me.

He had noticed that I had stopped sweating -- my t-shirt and the band of my ball cap were completely dry. I was very lucky.

We shouldn't have been out there, I guess; but they didn't suspend anything because of what happened to me and I was back to work before the two weeks were out.

What happened to this woman was a tragedy, but I doubt they'll be a law suit -- better training would make a lot more sense.

Here's what I was referring to:

Green Flag (WBGTI of 80 to 84.9 degrees F): Heavy exercises, for unacclimatized personnel, will be conducted with caution and under constant supervision.

Yellow Flag (WBGTI of 85 to 87.9 degrees F): Strenuous exercises or physical labor will be curtailed for unacclimatized, newly assigned Marines and Civilian Marines in their first 3 weeks. Avoid outdoor classes or work in the sun.

Red Flag (WBGTI of 88 to 89 degrees F): All PT or very strenuous work will be curtailed for those not thoroughly acclimatized by at least 3 weeks. Personnel not thoroughly acclimatized may carry on limited activity not to exceed 6 hours per day.

Black Flag (WBGTI of 90 and above degrees F): All nonessential physical activity will be halted.

http://www.ala.usmc.mil/flags/

Of course, it's been a long time.

It is appalling that those basic rules were not followed through -- disturbing enough that they sent an eastern state unit to the desert southwest.

Thanks for the information.

physical training when the temp/humidity got high, which happened frequently in August in GA.

and hydrated. And PA is sure not AZ. Not Iraq but another service member dies cause of Bush insanity. And we all know the NG to the border mission is nothing but feel-good political move for the f'ing RW base cause this is an election year.

Greensburg and PA has unfortunately paid a helluva price both in 41's Gulf War(detachment barracks that got hit in Saudi Arabia closing days of war was mostly from Greensburg) and 43's debacles.

RIP Sgt. Fike - you didn't deserve this.

I am so sorry for her and her family. What a waste.

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........

:wtf:

Way to support the troops there, buddy.

We, the liberals and Democrats, are the ones who are constantly accused that we do not support the troops, that we do not care, that we want them to fail. What complete and utter garbage.

It is the yellow ribbon "Support Our Troops" car magnet types who are the true hypocrites and the ones who care for their wounded national pride than they do our troops. They think their platitudes and empty promises will protect the soldiers. But once the troops are back and out of uniform they get that well-worn Republican motto: "You're on your own". They could care less if the vets VA benefits are cut or if they are homeless. And then they have the gaul to claim that we don't support the troops.

DEMOCRATS AND LIBERALS DO CARE!!
WE SUPPORT OUR TROOPS!!!

n/t

She died as a result of the political frenzy surrounding the election of the republican guy in San Diego about immigration.

The desert can be a brutal environment. It is deceptive in the extreme.

Most people that have not grown up in desert climate can't recognize the symptoms of dehydration until it is too late.

Because of the dry conditions, your body remains cool as the moisture is literally sucked out of your body. You do not feel hot, which is what people associate with thirst.

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wouldn't spend the bucks to hire more Border Patrol agents!

Bush is using up the National Guard and Reserves at a frightening pace. "Weekend Warriors My Ass"

People much younger than that die in the heat all the time. It's just stupid to have anyone out there in such a blast furnace.

The military knows damn well the time it takes to acclimate to warm weather. 4-14 days was a working number back in my days, and I say someone disregarded this information.