An 18-year-old Marine recruit died in September after collapsing throughout coaching at Camp Pendleton, the Marines mentioned in a press release late Saturday.
Pfc. Javier Pong “grew to become unconscious and unresponsive” whereas “conducting scheduled coaching” on Sept. 27, the Marines mentioned. He was pronounced useless at Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton.
Brig. Gen. Jason Morris, the commanding common of Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, mentioned the Marines are investigating Pong’s dying.
“We’re vastly saddened by the premature passing of Pfc. Javier Pong as he pursued his journey to change into a United States Marine,” Morris mentioned in a press release. “We’re dedicated to honoring his reminiscence, supporting these with whom he served, and investigating the reason for his dying to make sure we are able to safely rework civilians into Marines and retain the belief of the American folks.”
Pong was from Las Cruces, New Mexico, and just lately graduated highschool in Might, in line with his obituary.
Pong’s dying was introduced by the Marines in an e-mailed assertion Saturday night — a full 11 days after the recruit died. The Marines didn’t instantly reply to the Union-Tribune’s questions on what sort of coaching recruits the place engaged in when Pong collapsed or particulars about the place within the coaching cycle Pong’s firm was on the time.
Recruits who practice at MCRD San Diego spend about 5 weeks on the depot earlier than shifting to Camp Pendleton for an additional 5 weeks of discipline coaching, in line with the Marines’ recruit coaching matrix.
The Marines didn’t say to which recruit coaching firm Pong was connected.
In-service navy coaching deaths are routinely introduced inside about 24 hours and the identify or names of service members killed are then usually launched after one other 24 hours — pending next-of-kin notification.
When Seaman Kyle Mullen, 24, died Feb. 4 throughout SEAL coaching in Coronado, the Navy introduced the dying in a information launch the subsequent day. They named Mullen in a separate launch the following day, Feb. 6.
The Marine Corps didn’t launch Pong’s service info or residence of document. The Corps additionally didn’t launch his service picture.
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