A 23-year-old US Army soldier died last week at the Fort Irwin National Training Center in California, officials say.
The soldier, Spc. Joseph M. Meitl Jr., died during a training incident Thursday at the base in the Mojave Desert in southern California, about 120 miles northeast of Los Angeles, the report said. US Army in a statement.
Meitl joined the U.S. Army in May 2020 and was currently an armored gun crew member with the 1st Calvary Division at Fort Hood, Texas. He previously received the Army Merit Medal, National Defense Service Medal, and Army Service Ribbon.
The brigade of soldiers participated in collective training during the week.
“Specialist Joseph Meitl Jr. was a valued member of our Steel Dragon team. We are deeply saddened by the loss of an incredible soldier and teammate,” Lt. Col. Christopher Carpenter said in the statement. “We offer our deepest condolences to his wife, family and friends. Our thoughts and prayers are with them at this time of grief and reflection.”
The U.S. military did not say how Meitl Jr. died but said “the incident is being investigated.”
There have been a few fatalities at Fort Irwin in recent years. In 2019, one soldier died from injuries sustained in a tactical vehicle accident. Another soldier was killed in 2020 during a vehicle training exercise.
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