Two 18-Year-Old Military Members Suddenly Die – Causes of Death Unknown

A Marine recruit and U.S. Army active soldier, both 18 years of age, suddenly died in recent weeks.

On September 27th, Private First Class Javier Pong “became unconscious and unresponsive while conducting scheduled training” at the installation outside San Diego.

BREAKING REPORT: Marine Recruit, Private First Class Javier Pong – [18 YEARS-OLD] – Dies After Collapsing During a Training Exercise at Camp Pendleton…

— Chuck Callesto (@ChuckCallesto) October 12, 2022

18-year-old Pfc. Javier Pong died last month after he "became unconscious and unresponsive" while "conducting scheduled training." https://t.co/tyRGMRRnPU

— CBS News (@CBSNews) October 10, 2022

AP reported:

An 18-year-old Marine recruit died last month after collapsing during training at Southern California’s Camp Pendleton, military officials said in a weekend statement.

Pfc. Javier Pong “became unconscious and unresponsive” while “conducting scheduled training” on Sept. 27 at the base near San Diego, according to a Marine Corps statement Saturday. He died at Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton.

Brig. Gen. Jason Morris, the commanding general of Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, said the Marines are investigating Pong’s death.

“We are greatly saddened by the untimely passing of Pfc. Javier Pong as he pursued his journey to become a United States Marine,” Morris said in the statement. “We are committed to honoring his memory, supporting those with whom he served, and investigating the cause of his death to ensure we can safely transform civilians into Marines and retain the trust of the American people.”

Task & Purpose added:

Pong, 18, had graduated from high school in May and had long dreamt of becoming a Marine, according to his obituary, which was posted online by Baca’s Funeral Chapel in Las Cruces, New Mexico.

The reason why Marine Corps officials did not initially announce Pong’s death was that his family needed time to mourn his loss, said Marine Capt. Joshua Collins, a spokesman for Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego.

“We are focused on supporting Pfc. Pong’s loved ones during this difficult time,” Collins said on Tuesday. “Out of a desire to provide the family privacy to grieve and put Pfc. Pong’s affairs in order, we delayed releasing any information until the family had confirmed they were comfortable with the news being publicized.”

Little information about the circumstances surrounding Pong’s death is publicly available. An investigation into the incident is ongoing, Collins said.

“At this time, we can only confirm that Pfc. Pong fell unconscious and became unresponsive while conducting scheduled training aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton earlier that evening,” Collins said. “All activities are conducted in accordance with existing directives and procedures to provide a controlled environment and maximize the safety of all recruits and permanent personnel.”

Also, the name of a U.S. soldier who died at Fort Jackson has been made public.

Fort Jackson officials said that on October 7, Private Danielle A. Shields, 18, from Decatur, Georgia, was found unresponsive in her barracks.

She was taken to a nearby hospital where CPR was attempted, but she was pronounced dead at 11 p.m.

Fort Jackson Soldier Found Dead…

Pvt. Danielle A. Shields, 18, was found dead in her barracks…

Was in basic combat training and assigned to Delta Company, 2nd Battalion, 13th Infantry Regiment…

– wspa

— Dr. James E. Olsson (@DrJamesOlsson) October 11, 2022

Pvt. Danielle A. Shields, an active duty soldier in basic combat training, was found in her barracks area Friday, Army officials said Tuesday in a news release.https://t.co/WI5i8WRdSG

— Stars and Stripes (@starsandstripes) October 11, 2022

News 19 reported:

Military officials said an investigation into the cause of her death continues, but they added it was not due to an active field training exercise or COVID-19.

“This is a very hard time for all who knew Danielle and we continue to provide comfort to her teammates,” said Fort Jackson Commander Brig. Gen. Jason E. Kelly. “Chaplains and other medical professionals are helping those who are in need.”

Shields was assigned to Delta Company, 2nd Battalion, 13th Infantry Regiment.

This is the second death at Fort Jackson in recent months. Officials confirmed in August that 17-year-old Pvt. Alyssa Cahoon with the Pennsylvania Army National Guard collapsed during physical training. She was taken to an area hospital and was pronounced dead there.

The family told WNEP-TV that Cahoon had a rare heart condition.  Aly, as she was known, was heading into her senior year at Forest City Regional School, where she and her twin sister Brianna played volleyball and basketball.