Military officials said in a weekend statement that an 18-year-old Marine recruit died last month after collapsing during training at Camp Pendleton in Southern California.
According to a Marine Corps statement released on Saturday, October 8, Pfc. Javier Pong was conducting scheduled training on September 27 at the base near San Diego when he suddenly became unconscious and unresponsive. Pong was rushed to Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton, where he later died.
Brig. Gen. Jason Morris, Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego's commanding general, said in a statement that the Marines are investigating the death of Pong. Morris said they are greatly saddened by the untimely passing of Pong, who was just starting his journey to become a United States Marine.
New Mexico native Pong graduated high school just last May
He added that they are committed to honoring his memory, supporting those he served, and investigating the cause of his death to ensure they can safely transform civilians into Marines and retain the American people's trust.
Pong hailed from Las Cruses, New Mexico, and he graduated from high school just last May, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune. The paper asked the Marines what type of training Pong and the other recruits were engaged in when he collapsed, but they did not immediately respond to those questions.
Marine officials also did not explain why they decided to wait 11 days before announcing the death of Pong. According to the newspaper, in in-service military training, deaths are routinely announced within about a day.
Capt. Joshua Collins, a Marine spokesperson at MCRD San Diego, said that the unit of Pong was in its eighth week of training. The victim was attached to Echo Company, 2nd Recruit Training Battalion.
Pong doing Basic Warrior Training with Marines in Week 8 before his death
According to the Marines' recruit training matrix, recruits who trained at MCRD San Diego spend five weeks at the depot before moving to Camp Pendleton for another five weeks of field training. According to the matrix, Week 8 is "Basic Warrior Training," which includes survival combat skills such as land navigation, maneuvering under enemy fire, and marksmanship.
Deaths during in-service military training are usually announced within a day, and the name or names of service members killed are then released after another day, pending notification of next-of-kin.
When Seaman Kyle Mullen, 24, died during SEAL training in Coronado on February 4, the Navy announced his death in a news release the following day. They named Mullen in a separate release the next day on February 6.
According to Collins, the Marines delayed releasing information about Pong's death out of a desire to provide his family with time to grieve. The Marine Corps did not release his service information or home of record. The Marine Corps also did not release his service photo, NBC News reported.
