An Army National Guard soldier died during an exercise in Basic Combat Training at Fort Jackson near Columbia, South Carolina.
Pvt. Connor McGurran, a 19-year-old from Owatonna, Minnesota, collapsed during a training exercise and was rushed to a hospital where he was pronounced dead. McGurran was the second soldier to die in training at Fort Jackson since September.
Brig. Gen. Milford H. Beagle Jr. posted a statement of condolence to McGurran’s family on Twitter, writing, “The untimely loss of any soldier, one of America’s most precious resources, devastates families, friends, and teammates.”
He added, “The unexpected loss of a soldier in training is not unprecedented, but remains rare. Unfortunately, this event follows too closely to our last Basic Combat Training soldier death stemming from a medical emergency on September 20, 2019.”
The cause of death for McGurran has yet to be made public. Pvt. Andrew McLean, the 18-year-old who died in September, suffered a non-heat-related medical emergency during training and died at the hospital.
Brig. Gen. Milford H. Beagle Jr.’s note to the extended Fort Jackson Family pic.twitter.com/aaxvcuKb6a
— Fort Jackson (@fortjackson) January 9, 2020
McGurran was training to become a Bradley Fighting Vehicle system maintainer after joining the Army National Guard in September, according to the Duluth News Tribune. Minnesota National Guard Recruiting and Retention commander Lt. Col. Eduardo Suarez said in a statement, “We will provide every comfort to his family and the Recruiting and Retention Battalion, who are devastated by his untimely death. This is a tragic loss for the Minnesota National Guard.”
Minnesota state Sen. John Jasinski, who represents McGurran’s hometown, added, “It is always a horrible feeling losing a brother or sister of the armed forces. As we wait for more information about what happened, I hope Pvt. McGurran’s family knows that all of Minnesota is grieving with them.”
