By: Rob Moore
Army personnel transfer injured rangers to White County Med unit
(Fort Benning)- The Army has identified the two service members killed during a storm Tuesday afternoon in White County as Second Lt. Evan Fitzgibbon and Staff Sgt. George Taber.
The Maneuver Center of Excellence and Fort Benning identified the men in a statement, expressing condolences to soldiers’ families, friends, and colleagues.
The statement reads, “Fitzgibbon and Taber, along with three other Ranger candidates, were struck by a fallen tree around 3:15 p.m. while sheltering during a weather-induced training hold.”
All injured personnel was transported to Northeast Georgia Medical Center, where Fitzgibbon and Taber were later pronounced deceased.
Two were treated for non-life threatening injuries and one remains stable under medical care.
Maneuver Center of Excellence and Fort Benning Commanding General Maj. Gen. Curtis A. Buzzard said, “We are all deeply saddened by the loss of these two outstanding soldiers and send our heartfelt condolences to their families. They are in our thoughts and prayers.”
Fitzgibbon, was an Infantry officer (11A), assigned to the Infantry Basic Officer Leader Course, 199th Leader Brigade at Fort Benning, commissioned May 22, 2021, from the United States Military Academy at West Point, NY. Taber was a Special Forces medical sergeant (18D) with the 7th Special Forces Group at Eglin Air Force Base, who enlisted on March 14, 2017.
“Those who volunteer to attend Ranger School represent the very best of our military,” Airborne and Ranger Training Brigade Commander Col. Christopher C. Hammonds said. “This loss resonates across our Army and across our nation.”
