Using data from the Max‐Planck‐Institut für extraterrestrische Physik/University of Maryland Suprathermal Energetic Ion Charge Analyzer (SULEICA) on AMPTE IRM and the University of Maryland/Max‐Planck‐Institut für Aeronomie Charge Energy Mass Spectrometer (CHEM) on AMPTE CCE, we have determined the pre‐ and post‐injection Suprathermal energy spectra for the ion species H+, O+, He+, and He++ for six events in which substorm‐associated particle injections are observed in both the near‐Earth plasma sheet (7–9 RE) and farther down the tail (10–19 RE). We find similar spectral changes in both locations, with the spectra becoming harder with the injection. Post‐injection, the flux decreases exponentially with radial distance. Approximately the same gradient is observed in all species. In addition, we find that although the O+/H+ and the He++/H+ ratios increase with energy per charge, the ratios are approximately the same at the same energy per charge at the two spacecraft. The observations are difficult to explain either with a model in which the ions are accelerated at a neutral line and transported toward Earth or with a model in which the ions are accelerated in the near‐Earth region by current disruption/diversion and transported down the tail. In either case, the ions would have to be transported throughout the tail without much energization or deenergization in order to explain the energy per charge correlations. Further, earthward transport without energization would not lead to the observed radial gradient. A combination of these acceleration mechanisms, a disturbance that propagates throughout the plasma sheet, or a more global mechanism may explain the observations.
