ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Two soldiers participating in a Thursday training exercise on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson were injured following a brown bear encounter, military officials said Friday. The U.S. Army 11th Airborne Division soldiers were hurt while participating a “land navigation training event” at the base’s Arctic Valley training area, Lt. Col. Jo Nederhoed, a public affairs officer ...

Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson Alaska Air National Guard compound in Anchorage, Alaska.

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ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Two soldiers participating in a Thursday training exercise on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson were injured following a brown bear encounter, military officials said Friday.

The U.S. Army 11th Airborne Division soldiers were hurt while participating a “land navigation training event” at the base’s Arctic Valley training area, Lt. Col. Jo Nederhoed, a public affairs officer for the division, said in an email.

The soldiers were “receiving appropriate medical care” as of late Friday morning, she said. The military was withholding details about their condition pending notification of their next of kin, Nederhoed said.

Both soldiers were carrying bear spray and used it during the encounter, she said.

Other details about the encounter or what led to it weren’t available, as the incident was still under investigation, officials said.

“The safety and well-being of our personnel is our highest priority,” Nederhoed said. “The incident is under investigation, and we are coordinating with local wildlife authorities to ensure the safety of all personnel in the area.”