11th Airborne soldier killed, another injured, in car accident

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A soldier based out of Fort Wainwright died on Saturday, May 18 when the car she was in crashed and suffered a rollover, the U.S. Army and Alaska State Troopers announced.

Pfc. Cierra Nglias Truce with the 11th Airborne Division died early Saturday morning. She and another soldier were driving down Parks Highway in Alaska when it crashed due to unspecified reasons. Truce, 19, was the passenger and was ejected from the vehicle. Alaska State Troopers received a call about the crash and responded shortly after 6 a.m. but Truce died on the scene.

Truce and the other soldier, who was seriously injured in the crash, were both based out of Fort Wainwright. The other soldier was taken to Fairbanks Memorial Hospital for treatment and has since been released. 

Truce was serving as a supply specialist with the 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 11th Airborne Division, according to the Army. She was from Koror City in the Republic of Palau and joined the Army in 2023. After training, she was stationed at Fort Wainwright in August of that year. 

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“Pfc. Truce was a high performing member of the Bobcat Battalion, and her loss is devastating across the formation,” Lt. Col. Jon Doiron, 1-5 Infantry Battalion commander, said in an Army release on her death. “Her tragic death truly impacts the entire Bobcat family, and our support and prayers go out to all of those who considered Cierra friend or family.”

The crash happened near Nenana, Alaska on Parks Highway, the main route between Anchorage and Fairbanks, the latter city being home to Fort Wainwright. 

The accident is under investigation, according to a statement from the Alaska State Troopers over the weekend. 

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Nicholas Slayton

Contributing Editor

Nicholas Slayton is a Contributing Editor for Task & Purpose. In addition to covering breaking news, he writes about history, shipwrecks, and the military’s hunt for unidentified anomalous phenomenon (formerly known as UFOs).