A 22-year-old Army ROTC cadet died during training at Fort Knox, Kentucky, last week.
Cadet Neil Edara died after becoming unresponsive during land navigation training July 24, according to a statement Saturday from U.S. Army Cadet Command. Edara was at Fort Knox for ROTC Cadet Summer Training.
The Cadet Summer Training program is a multi-week course held at Fort Knox, covering basic combat skills, land navigation and small-unit exercises.
Edara was given medical treatment on the scene after being found unresponsive, and then transported via helicopter to the University of Louisville. Medial officials pronounced him dead at the hospital.
The cause of death is under investigation, according to cadet command. Training did not pause following Edara’s death, but the command said spiritual counseling and religious affairs support is available for cadets who need it.
Edara, from Ridgewood, N.J., was a student at Rutgers University. He joined the ROTC in 2021 and was scheduled to graduate in 2026.
“Cadet Edara was one of the most dedicated and promising young leaders I’ve had the privilege to know,” Lt. Col. Timothy Sorensen, a professor of military science at Rutgers University, said in Army Cadet Command’s statement.
“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.”
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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