(November 9, 2007)—Hundreds of searchers were mobilized Friday at Fort Hood after a soldier attending the Warriors Leader Course turned up missing during a land navigation exercise.

An Army sergeant who evidently got lost on the course this summer was found dead, but this time the disappearance had a better ending.

The missing Fort Sam Houston soldier was found safe Friday about three hours after he failed to complete the course.

At the height of the effort, the search involved more than 350 soldiers, three ATV patrols, a helicopter and personnel from the Department of the Army police, Fort Hood Fire Department and Military Police investigators, Fort Hood said in a release issued Friday evening.

Officials say the quick response of NCO Academy leaders when the soldier failed to finish the course on time led to the quick rescue. F

“This was a well executed Fort Hood Team effort”, said Fort Hood spokeswoman Col. Diane Battaglia, “and we’re incredibly thankful that the situation turned out so well.”

The Army conducted a major review this summer after Sgt. Lawrence Sprader failed to complete the navigation course.

Despite a massive search involving thousands of soldiers, it took four days to find Sprader, who had collapsed in thick underbrush and died.

A 1,700-page Army investigative report on the death detailed a multitude of procedural violations, judgment errors and alleged acts of misconduct by Army trainers.

The report found the exercise was poorly planned and supervised, with trainers failing to patrol the countryside as required for soldiers in distress, participants were not given enough time to fill their canteens, trainers did not keep a close enough watch on the mid-90s heat and humidity, and the Army made little effort to find the Iraq war veteran until the training exercise was over

Ten soldiers were suspended in aftermath of the investigation.

One was later given what the Army calls an Article 15, which is a non-judicial punishment.

The other nine were issued reprimands.

Those were later withdrawn altogether for three of the soldiers and were placed in local rather than permanent files for the other six.
In addition, one of the six was to be relieved of position for cause, the Army said.

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