WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama is offering condolences and praise to the community of Fort Hood, Texas, following the death of nine soldiers in a flood during a training exercise.

Obama spoke by phone on Monday with Maj. Gen. John Thomson of the 1st Cavalry Division. The White House says Obama sent his sympathies to the families of those killed and thanked the general and first responders for the search and recovery operation.

The White House says the incident is a reminder of the "tremendous risks" related to military operations and that the U.S. owes a debt to its troops for their sacrifices.

The soldiers' truck was swept away in a rain-swollen creek amid heavy and persistent storms in parts of Texas in recent weeks.