NAVY SEAL CANDIDATEDIES,ANOTHERISHOSPITALIZED

2sailorscomedownwith unknownsicknesshours aftergruelingtraining

BY JEFF MCDONALD

Hoursafter they completedthe lastlegof the grueling“Hell Week” phaseofthe Navy SEALtraining regimen, two candidatessuccumbed to anunknownillnessand one died, NavyofficialssaidSaturday. Theincident occurredFriday, shortlyafter the two SEALcandidates completedthebasicunder- water demolitionclass, the Navy said in a statement.OneofthecandidatesdiedFriday at SharpCoronadoHospital; theother remainsin stable conditionat Naval MedicalCenterinSanDiego.

Thecauseofdeath is currently unknownand remainsunderinvestigation.

Thesailors were notactively training whenthey reported their symptoms the Navy saidin a statement.They were immediately transported to emergencycare. Thefamily ofthedeceased sailorhasbeennotified of thedeath, butunder Navy policy theidentity ofthevictimiswithheld fromthe publicfor24hoursafter thenextof-kinnotification.

Theincidentoccurred at the conclusionofwhat’s called Hell Week, a 5½-daytrainingsession thatendsthe firstphaseofassessmentandselectionfor Navy commandos,according to the Navy.

Hell Week typicallybeginsona Sundaynight and concludesthe followingFridaymorning Thecandidates’physical andmental endurance are put to the test.It’s so grueling thatmore thanhalfofthe candidatesdonotmake it through.

TheSEALcandidates run 200 miles or more— often carrying equipmentwiththem.Theyalso are calledupon to swim andperformhoursofphysicaltrainingon almostnosleep.

The two sailors hadsuccessfully completed the trainingbutbegan showing symptoms ofillness a few hourslater NeitherSEAL candidate had experiencedanaccident oranythingunusualinthe course ofthetraining, Navyofficialssaid.

Navy SEALSare amongthe best-trained and elite membersof the U.S.military specialoperationsforces.

TheAssociated Presscontributed to this report. jeff.mcdonald@sduniontribune.com

The rising concerns come as theRussian military continues to dispatch combatunits to the Ukrainianborderinbothits own territory andBelarus.Asof Friday, seven people familiar withthe assessmentssaid, therewere 83Russianbattalion tactical groups with about 750 troops each, arrayedfor a possibleassault.Thatisup from60 two weeks ago, and comprises about 70 percentofwhatRussianPresidentVladimirPutin needs to have inplaceifhe wants to maximizetheoperation.

Thosemore than 62,000 troops are backedby tens of thousandsofadditionalpersonnel to providelogistics, air powerandmedicalsupport. U.S.officialshave saidtheRussianpresencealong Ukraine’s borders totalsmore than 100,000; one Western security officialputthenumberat 130,000.

Russia haslongbristled over Ukrainianindependence. Ukraine was part ofthenow-defunctSoviet Union,andpartsof its territory forcenturies were ruledby Russia.Ukraine also aspires to NATOmembership, which Putin adamantly rejects.

Key military enablers,includingbridge-buildingunits, havecontinued to arrive onthe border andmore battaliontactical groupsare now in transit, with only a few in far-flunglocations,such as the Arctic, remaining at theirhome bases.As aresult U.S. officials initially skeptical lastfallthat a largescale invasion wouldbe launchedappearnow to have shifted theirthinkingasthe buildup continues, a congressionalaidesaid.

The assessments,thepeople familiarwiththem confirmed, also judged thatthe window for adiplomatic resolution of the crisisappears to beclosing. Evenas a steadystreamofEuropeanleadershave beenin contactwithPutin,further meetingshave been scheduled, andtheKremlinhas repeatedly denied any invasion plans,the numberand configurationof troopmovementshave continued to pushthe West’s consensusintheopposite direction.

“Our worry would be that you don’tpark battle groups... onthe borderofanother country twiceanddonothing,” one European official said, referring to anearlier buildup last year.

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