A 19-year-old Air Force ROTC cadet died Friday following a vehicle accident involving a Humvee during a training event in Idaho, officials said.
MacKenzie Wilson, a cadet from Oregon State University, was hurt in the accident around 12:30 p.m. at Saylor Creek Range, part of the Mountain Home Air Force Base range complex, the base said in a statement Sunday. Two other people were injured.
Wilson was one of 19 Air Force ROTC cadets at the installation participating in Operation Air Force, described as "an immersive professional development training opportunity to expose cadets to a variety of different mission sets.”
Air Force personnel and cadets responded to the crash and initiated lifesaving actions until first responders arrived, the statement said.
Wilson, of Eagle River, Alaska, was pronounced dead at the scene, officials said.
The two injured people were transported to St. Alphonsus Hospital in Boise and have been released, the statement said.
“Today we lost a member of our Air Force family. We express our deepest sympathies to the families and friends of all the individuals,” said Col. Ernesto DiVittorio, the commander of the 366th Fighter Wing. “Our thoughts and prayers are with them.”
The participating cadets were offered "resiliency services" and the option to return to their respective "homes of residence" or stay at the installation after the accident, the base said.
ROTC stands for Reserve Officer Training Corps. Schools — including Oregon State — offer programs that combine academic curriculums with instruction to prepare for commissioning and service in the armed forces.
Details about Wilson’s death and accident are under investigation by Idaho State Police with assistance from the Air Force Office of Special Investigations.