A junior Navy officer died during a joint training exercise with Marines at a base in Hawaii over the weekend.
Lt. jg Aaron Fowler “became unresponsive” during the drill on Sunday at Marine Corps Base Hawaii in Kanehoe Bay, military officials said in a press release Wednesday. He was rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead a short time later. He was 29.
The details surrounding the deadly incident were not provided, but officials said that it remains under investigation by NCIS as well as local authorities.
Fowler had been based in San Diego as a member of the Navy’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit One, a group trained to clear “explosive hazards to provide access to denied areas,” according to the press release. He started serving in the unit back in January 2022.
“Our deepest sympathies go out to Aaron’s family and friends, and we join them in remembering and mourning this brave warrior,” said Rear Adm. Joseph Diguardo, Jr., commander, Navy Expeditionary Combat Command.
“His decision to join this elite special operations community was a testament to the dedicated and selfless character he embodied and his legacy will endure in our ranks through those he inspired by his service.”
Fowler first joined the Navy in 2012 and became a commissioned officer after graduating from the Naval Academy in May 2018.