A U.S. soldier died on June 10 after being struck by an M2 Bradley fighting vehicle during a large-scale training exercise in California's Mojave Desert, an Army spokesperson confirmed. The soldier was identified as Adrian Bonsey, a 29-year-old combat engineer assigned to the 3rd Infantry Division at Fort Stewart, Georgia.
Bonsey was on foot in a training area during hours of limited visibility when the incident occurred around 4:30 a.m. The M2 Bradley is a 27-ton armored vehicle. The incident is currently under investigation.
"This is a devastating loss for our entire division," Maj. Gen. John Lubas, the 3rd Infantry Division commander, said in a statement. "Adrian was an exceptional soldier who was committed to our mission and proudly serving our nation. We are heartbroken and will wrap our arms around his family, loved ones and fellow Soldiers during this difficult time."
Bonsey, a native of New York, joined the Army in 2023 and had been stationed at Fort Stewart for two months. He previously served at Fort Carson, Colorado, and deployed to Poland in 2024. He was participating in a significant training exercise at the National Training Center, the Army's premier combat training venue, which replicates war conditions and serves as a final validation before units are considered ready for potential combat deployments.
According to Army figures, 31 soldiers died in training accidents in 2025, with fatalities resulting from both aircraft crashes and ground incidents. Most ground-related deaths involved military vehicles, frequently in rollover incidents. The Army has averaged approximately two vehicle-related fatalities per month since 2020, a trend that has been decreasing since the mid-2000s when monthly fatalities were triple that number, coinciding with efforts to train units for the Iraq war surge. Investigations into past Army training incidents have frequently cited factors such as sleep deprivation, inadequate training, and inexperienced leaders overseeing high-risk exercises.