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ANCHORAGE, Alaska — <\/span>Two U.S. Army soldiers have been injured after encountering a brown bear in a mountainous training area in Anchorage, the military said Friday.<\/p>\n The incident happened Thursday as the soldiers were participating in a \u201cland navigation training event\u201d in Arctic Valley, part of the Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson\u2019s training area.<\/p>\n The soldiers were receiving medical care as of Friday, a military official told the Anchorage Daily News. Messages sent to base spokespersons were not immediately returned to The Associated Press Friday.<\/p>\n The soldiers\u2019 conditions were not released pending notification of relatives.<\/p>\n Both soldiers used pepper spray on the bear, the official said. Few other details were available about the incident because it was still under investigation.<\/p>\n \u201cThe safety and well-being of our personnel is our highest priority,\u201d Lt. Col. Jo Nederhoed, a spokesperson for the U.S. Army 11th Airborne Division, said in an email to the Anchorage Daily News.<\/p>\n \u201cThe incident is under investigation, and we are coordinating with local wildlife authorities to ensure the safety of all personnel in the area,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n The base encompasses 100 square miles (259 square kilometers) within the Municipality of Anchorage, where up to 350 black bears and 75 brown bears roam freely.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n