An Army recruit died at a military hospital in Georgia just two days before he was set to graduate from basic training at Fort Moore.
Jacob Atchison, of Pella, Iowa, whose obituary described him as “incredibly proud of his service,” died on July 12 from a “medical emergency,” according to a statement from Fort Moore. He was 19 years old.
“Those who volunteer to defend the nation represent the very best of us,” 1st Lt. Kyle J. Whittaker, Atchison’s company commander, said in a statement. “The loss of Jacob will be keenly felt by his teammates and the Army, now and in the future.”
Company leadership called Emergency Medical Services and drill sergeants administered combat lifesaver procedures, according to the statement. He was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at Martin Army Community Hospital. The Army said an investigation will be conducted to determine Atchison’s cause of death.
Atchison left for Fort Moore on May 1 and had been assigned to Delta Company, 3rd Battalion, 47th Infantry Regiment, 197th Infantry Brigade, according to his obituary. While in basic training, he earned top shot for his company and received expert marksmanship.
Graduating from Pella Community High School, Atchison was an honor roll student and enjoyed history courses, according to his obituary. He was “a self-professed mama’s boy,” survived by his mother, father and sister.
“We are all deeply saddened by the loss of this outstanding Soldier and send our heartfelt condolences to his family,” Lt. Col. Josh Horner, commander of 3rd Battalion, 47th Infantry Regiment, said in a statement. “They are in our thoughts and prayers.”
Zamone “Z” Perez is a rapid response reporter and podcast producer at Defense News and Military Times. He previously worked at Foreign Policy and Ufahamu Africa. He is a graduate of Northwestern University, where he researched international ethics and atrocity prevention in his thesis. He can be found on Twitter @zamoneperez.