An Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps cadet died during training at Fort Knox in Kentucky last week.
Neil Edara, a 22-year-old from Ridgewood, New Jersey, died after becoming unresponsive during a land navigation training, the Army Cadet Command said in a statement Saturday. Edara was at Cadet Summer Training.
He received medical attention on the scene and was transported to the University of Louisville Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. His cause of death is under investigation.
“Safety of cadets and cadre remains U.S. Army Cadet Command’s top priority as training continues,” the command said in its statement.
Land Navigation training “develop, assess and train Cadets in basic dismounted land navigation skills,” and cadets are additionally taught “advanced land navigation skills and associated tasks, which include mounted land navigation, range estimation, terrain analysis, and call for fire,” according to the military’s website.
Edara joined ROTC in 2021 at Rutgers University and was at Cadet Summer Training as part of the 9th Regiment, Advanced Camp. The camp is composed of 10 regiments and has over 6,000 cadets.
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“Cadet Edara was one of the most dedicated and promising young leaders I’ve had the privilege to know,” Lt. Col. Timothy Sorensen, professor of military science at Rutgers University, said in a statement shared by the Army.
“His calm collected demeanor and unwavering commitment to excellence left a lasting impact on everyone around him. His loss is deeply felt across the entire ROTC and Rutgers community. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and loved ones during this incredibly difficult time,” Sorensen added.