A Marine sergeant died last month after he collapsed during a physical fitness test in Florida, according to a recent Naval Safety report.
Sgt. Gordon Reed, a motor vehicle operator with 4th Marine Logistics Group, collapsed at the Navy Reserve Center Orlando during a PFT on June 24. He was transported to a local hospital where he died, according to the safety report and Marine officials.
The death is under investigation by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service as well as a safety investigation by Marine Forces Reserve. A command investigation will begin once NCIS has completed its investigation, 1st Lt. Quiarra Barros told Military.com.
“Our hearts and condolences are with his family during this difficult time,” Barros told Marine Corps Times in an email statement on Thursday. “We are unable to comment further given there is an ongoing investigation into the matter.”
Reed’s cause of death has not yet been determined and Barros declined to comment on what factors may have played a role.
“I can confirm that NCIS is conducting a thorough investigation into the death of Sgt. Gordon Reed, as we do for any non-combat, medically unattended deaths of Department of the Navy service members,” said Darwin Lam, a spokesperson for the law enforcement agency. “Out of respect for the investigative process, NCIS will not comment further while the investigation remains ongoing.”
Todd South has written about crime, courts, government and the military for multiple publications since 2004 and was named a 2014 Pulitzer finalist for a co-written project on witness intimidation. Todd is a Marine veteran of the Iraq War.
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