Following a string of Apache helicopter crashes, the Army announced mandatory training for all pilots Wednesday to reverse the trend.

The mandatory training follows 11 helicopter crashes in six months, including one in late March that injured two on Fort Carson. The two soldiers suffered minor injuries. A C-12 airplane also crashed in the same time frame.

In 2023, the Army saw nine aviation incidents involving a fatality or loss of equipment, officials said.

Officials said Wednesday morning the training, called a safety stand up, will cover risk mitigation at a decision-maker level, power management and spatial orientation, Director of Army Aviation Gen. Walter Rueben said. Pilots will not be grounded.

“We want to make sure we reverse the trend. We want to be more empowering to the force,” he said.

The Army has a total of five open helicopter crash investigations, all of which occurred in the first few months of 2024 — including the Apache crash at Fort Carson.

Army officials said Wednesday that “no stone would be left unturned,” as investigative efforts continue. It is unclear whether human or mechanical error caused the crashes.

Rueben said active-duty components will have 30 days to complete the required training, and reserve components will have 60 days. The safety standup will not impact ongoing missions or operations.

“We want to empower the force at the lowest level to solve these problems,” Rueben said. “We’ve been deliberate to not have a quick-trigger stand down.”

In late March the Army had two crashes in quick succession.

On March 25, an Army AH-64E Apache helicopter crashed at a military base in Washington state during a training exercise, sending the two pilots to a hospital, according to the Associated Press.

Just two days later on the evening of March 27, two soldiers with the 4th Combat Aviation Brigade of the 4th Infantry Division at Fort Carson in Colorado Springs were injured in an Apache helicopter crash on post. The brigade was then grounded for about a one week.

Colorado Springs has also lost a soldier to the recent crashes.

On April 27, 2023, Colorado Springs native and Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Kyle McKenna died in an Apache crash after colliding with another aircraft while flying back to Fort Wainwright, Alaska on a training mission.