A soldier in the United States tragically lost his life when he was fatally injured by a tank during a training exercise in California. Adrian Bonsey, a combat engineer aged 29, was on foot participating in a large-scale training session in the Mojave Desert when he was struck by a 27-ton M2 Bradley fighting vehicle.
Specialist Bonsey, who was part of the 3rd Infantry Division at Fort Stewart in Georgia, was fatally injured at 4:30 am on June 10 under limited visibility conditions, according to an army spokesperson. Major General John Lubas, the commander of the 3rd Infantry Division, expressed deep sorrow over the loss, highlighting Bonsey’s dedication to duty and his service to the nation.
Originally from New York, Specialist Bonsey enlisted in the army in 2023 and had recently been stationed at Fort Stewart for two months. He had previously served at Fort Carson, Colorado, and had a deployment to Poland in 2024.
The tragic incident occurred during a significant training exercise at the National Training Center in California’s Mojave Desert, a crucial phase before potential combat deployments. Bradley fighting vehicles, typically operated by a three-person crew, are equipped with various armaments, including a 25mm chain gun, M240C 7.62mm machine gun, and TOW anti-tank missiles, capable of carrying a six-man rifle team into battle.
According to Pentagon data, there were 31 soldier fatalities in training accidents in 2025, with a division between aircraft crashes and ground incidents. The majority of ground-related deaths involved military vehicles, with several occurring in rollover incidents. The service has seen a decline in vehicle-related fatalities since the mid-2000s, attributed to improved training practices and reduced operational demands.
Previous army investigations have pointed out factors like sleep deprivation, inadequate training, and inexperienced leadership supervising high-risk exercises as contributing to such training accidents. The incident is currently under investigation to determine the circumstances surrounding the soldier’s untimely death.
