Soldier who died at Fort Jackson identified as teen from North Carolina, US Army says
The soldier who died at Fort Jackson last week was identified as a teenager from North Carolina, the U.S. Army said.
The Army mourned the death of Pvt. Andrew McLean, an 18-year-old from Fayetteville, North Carolina, according to a post on Fort Jackson’s Twitter feed.
McLean suffered a medical emergency before an outdoor physical training drill Friday, Fort Jackson officials said.
The teen was rushed to a Columbia hospital where he died at about 8:30 p.m., officials said in a news release.
“The tragic loss of a soldier, our nation’s most precious resource, is devastating to the families, friends and teammates,” Fort Jackson Commander Brig. Gen. Milford H. Beagle Jr. said in the release. “The Army and Fort Jackson grieves this loss deeply, but not as sharply as our soldier’s closest friends and family.”
Hospital officials said McLean’s death was not heat related, according to the news release.
Information on McLean’s cause of death was not available, but Beagle said it is being investigated.
“Separate investigations will be taking place to determine the facts behind the incident and provided in time to our soldier’s family, who rightly deserve this information,” Beagle said in the news release. “Thank you for your concern, well-wishes for surviving family and friends, and for the 10,000 soldiers who continue to train daily here at Fort Jackson.”
McLean was a member of the 3rd Battalion 60th Infantry Regiment, which is receiving assistance from chaplains and behavior health professionals as they mourn the teen’s death, Fort Jackson officials said.
Fort Jackson is the Army’s largest training installation, with more than 50,000 recruits assigned there each year.
This isn’t the first fatal incident reported at Fort Jackson.
In October 2017, two soldiers were killed and six more were injured when they were struck by military vehicle during training, The State reported.
An 18-year-old recruit died after a training march in August 2009. In July 2016, a sergeant first class died after collapsing at the end of a physical fitness test.
A memorial service will be held in McLean’s honor, but a date has not been scheduled, Fort Jackson officials said.
This story was originally published September 23, 2019 at 10:29 AM.
