Six National Guard soldiers were sent to the hospital for observation Monday after experiencing heat-related issued during a training march in Connecticut.
Maj. Dave Pytlik, a spokesperson with the Connecticut National Guard, said the soldiers were among several dozen participating this week in officer training school at the Guard’s Stone’s Ranch Military Reservation in East Lyme.
Monday is what is known as “ruck march” day, where the soldiers carry heavy backpacks on a rigorous 6-mile (9.7 kilometer) training march, he said. Pytlik said medical personnel, including a doctor, were on hand as part of precautions for the early morning march and responded appropriately to treat those suffering dehydration and other heat-related symptoms.
He said the six soldiers were taken to Lawrence + Memorial Hospital in New London for observation, but nobody was seriously injured.
