The flu hit Lackland Air Force Base hard this month. By June 25, 2026, 275 recruits had tested positive. One week before, there were only 160 cases.
Lackland is in San Antonio, Texas. It is where the Air Force trains all its new recruits.
Four recruits were sent to the hospital. One recruit died on June 16, officials say. The cause of death is still being looked into, per CIDRAP.
Not enough recruits had flu shots. FOX 13 reported only 40 percent got a flu shot before they arrived. When hundreds of people live and sleep together, the flu moves fast.
Rep. Joaquin Castro, a Democrat, said the 275-case number out loud. He said the problem at the base was serious.
The Pentagon moved fast. It made flu shots required again for all new recruits. That rule had been dropped earlier. The outbreak changed that.
Lackland trains thousands of young people from all over the country every year. Cases were still being counted in late June 2026.
