Obama addresses class of 2014 West Point
Obama's commencement address here is the first in a series of speeches that he and top advisers will use to explain U.S. foreign policy in the aftermath of conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan and lay out a broad vision for the rest of his presidency. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

Despite being stateside, military training still entails plenty of risks. And several cadets from West Point learned that first hand on Thursday morning when a vehicle overturned during a training exercise.

The accident occurred near Camp Natural Bridge, a training camp near West Point, New York, while several cadets were training on a light medium tactical vehicle. The vehicle training is part of standard field training exercises cadets undergoes during their second summer at West Point. According to West Point’s website, it’s to “familiarize and train each Third Class cadet in basic and advanced individual Soldier skills.”

While the soldiers were undergoing their training, the tactical vehicle overturned near New York Route 293. Army responders and local authorities rushed to the scene to aid the cadets and soldiers trapped due to the accident.

The accident killed one cadet and injured another 20 cadets present, along with two active soldiers present for the training. According to reports, the soldiers were serving out of Fort Benning.

West Point announced the accident on its Twitter page.

“My heart breaks for all those involved in the tragic training accident at West Point this morning,” New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo told the press. He continued “These courageous cadets and soldiers represent the best of New York State and our country, and we owe them a debt of gratitude for their bravery in choosing to serve our country and protect our freedoms.”

The timing of this accident is also tragic, as it falls on the 75th Anniversary of the D-Day landings at Normandy, France, during World War II.

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