JBER runner after bear attack: 'This is how I'm going to die'

Anchorage Daily News ^ | May 29, 2014 | CRAIG MEDRED

[skeptoid]

A young California mother attacked by a grizzly bear while running along a remote road through the woods at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson says she was at one point sure she was going to die.

In a video interview with military officials 12 days after the attack, Jessica Gamboa, wife of a soldier on the base and mother of a 4-year-old son, said she thought her life was over after the bear knocked her to the ground, picked her up by her backside, carried her across the road, dropped her to the ground, and worked her over twice more before finally leaving her broken and bleeding.

[22202NOVA]

Air Force people are apparently tastier than Army people.

[Moltke]

worked her over twice more

What does that mean? Was the bear a mob enforcer?

[Fresh Wind]

I remember something about a guy who went to live with the bears and was eaten

Then there was that moronic woman who jumped into the polar bear cage in a zoo because bears are so cute and cuddly.

[jocon307]

It’s easy to miss, just one brief mention.

“She yelled for husband Jacob, with whom she’d started the day’s run. A faster runner, Jacob had gone ahead. When yelling didn’t bring him back, Jessica said, she thought, “Now what?”

There’s no other mention of him. Nothing about him finding out she got hurt, nothing. Very odd.

[varyouga]

Don’t go into isolated brown bear country without a magnum. Period

Was this an area where bears are extremely rare?

[Alas Babylon!]

Are you sure? I believe it is DoD policy that you cannot be privately armed on a military installation. While I could keep my firearms with me at my on-base housing unit, I wasn’t allowed to carry them around on base. When I was younger and lived in the barracks, I had to store my personal firearms in the SP Armory.

AFAIK, this ban is in effect in the Army, even after two separate shootings on Fort Hood...

Maybe in Alaska there is a different policy. Still, I was stationed in Wash DC for 7 years. Really more dangerous there than bears in Alaska!

[Mark17]

Are you sure?

No, I am not sure. I was never stationed at Elmendorf. I just listened to people who had been there.

[vpintheak]

You’re right. He will never live it down as long as they are together!

[Alas Babylon!]

Sorry, Mark, I didn’t mean that to sound argumentative...

I just know how the military treats private gun ownership is all.

[Mark17]

No problem brother. I did not even think where they stored their weapons when they were not out hiking. I was more concerned with how they stayed alive, while they were out in the wilderness. I am sure there is some regulations about gun ownership on military bases, I just don't know exactly what they are. (The soldiers at Ft Hood should be allowed to carry) Another question I did not ask him, was if he lived in government housing, or on the economy. Anyway, I have watched a bunch of shows on Alaska, and I thought I would not want to be without a high powered weapon anywhere out in the boonies. I thought the bears would not try to get in people's houses. I think they will. I think most of those people up there sleep with their weapons, for that reason.

Best to you and yours, bro.

[Mark17]

BTW, great page you have there. I see the new chevrons for Smsgt. I must admit I much prefer the old chevrons, where two up is a Chief. I was actually stationed at Mainz-Kastel, yes, an air traffic controller at Mainz-Kastel. I was doing staff type work, creating instrument flight procedures. I went TDY all over Europe, North Africa and the Middle East, for this job, including Ramstein, so I have been been in the tower there. Good picture of it. When I worked in control towers, Mt Home, Vietnam, Laughlin and Travis, sometimes, I felt sorry for the maint troops on the ground, out in the elements, while I was sitting in air conditioned comfort, but not too sorry (smile)

Later bro.

[Alas Babylon!]

Mainz-Kastel! We had a unit there in the 1990s I used to visit a lot; the 485 Intel Sqdn. Ever heard of it? I was with the 26 Intel Grp at Ramstein.

[Mark17]

Actually, I was at Mainz-Kastel from 80 to 84, so I do not remember what other outfits were there. I know it was mostly Army troops there, but I know the 1st MOB out of Lindsey, also had some people at Mainz-Kastel. I was always worried about being put in the MOB. The 1st was at Lindsey, the 3rd was at Tinker. The 5th was in the Philippines. I am not positive, but the 2nd may have been in Florida. Not sure if there even was a 4th, but I think there was. To me, the MOB (mobile combat comm group) was like being in the Army, living in tents out in the boonies, eating MREs. If I had wanted to do that, I just would have joined the Army. I did not much like the way the Army troops were treated. I ate at the Army dining hall in Wiesbaden several times. I thought the food was utterly awful, the worst food I ever had. Prison inmates have better food and better medical care. That kind of sucks.

We were located with Defense Mapping Agency, because we needed their maps to do our work. We were located catty corner from the stereo club, across the tracks.