11 Fort Bliss Soldiers Fall Ill After Consuming Substance, Army Says

A group of 11 Texas-based soldiers fell ill Thursday after consuming a substance while completing a field training exercise, the Army said Friday. The incident is under investigation, according to a statement from the 1st Armored Division based at Fort Bliss in El Paso.

Two of the soldiers were in critical condition, the division said. All 11 were receiving medical care at an Army hospital.

The soldiers fell ill "after consuming a substance acquired outside of authorized food supply distribution channels," the division said. The group includes a warrant officer, two noncommissioned officers and eight enlisted personnel.

"Our commitment to our Soldiers and Families remains our number one priority as we work to understand what occurred Jan. 28," Major General Sean Bernabe, senior mission commander of the division and Fort Bliss, said in a statement.

The division is known as "America's Tank Division," according to the fort's website.