May 18--A soldier accidentally fired several rounds at a U.S. Army Apache helicopter during an exercise over the weekend at a Mojave Desert training facility, military officials said this week.
The soldier, who was temporarily assigned to the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, believed his weapon was loaded with blanks instead of live rounds during the "force-on-force" exercise at the Ft. Irwin National Training Center, an installation spokesman said in a statement. No injuries were reported.
The AH-64 attack helicopter, which was not operating at the time, sustained minor damage during the incident.
The News Tribune reported that four bullets punctured the helicopter during an exercise that involved soldiers from Joint Base Lewis-McChord, a military installation in Tacoma, Wash.
The matter is still being investigated.
The center, about 37 miles northeast of Barstow, conducts joint ground and aviation training in conflict scenarios.
veronica.rocha@latimes.com
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