JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A U.S. Navy sailor died last week during a training exercise onboard Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Commander, Naval Air Force Atlantic told First Coast News on Tuesday.
Chief Petty Officer Pete Lagosh was conducting a training exercise on June 4 while on an intermediate stop at the naval base, Cmdr. Dawn Stankus said. The NCIS is investigating the entire circumstances surrounding Lagosh's death.
Stankus said Lagosh was in an "on-duty status" and enrolled in the Navy's Surface Rescue Swimmer School (SRSS) Category II refresher course. Lagosh's "intermediate stop" at NAS Jax was during a permanent change of station orders to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 12 in Japan.
"We offer our deepest condolences and sympathies to the family, friends and shipmates of the Sailor during this difficult time," Stankus said. "Grief counseling services and support are available through the appropriate chains of command and through chaplains."
According to a training video provided by NAS Jax, the Surface Rescue Swimmer course teaches sailors how to perform life-saving measures and rescue downed airmen. The sailors in the video claim it is very challenging and not everyone passes it.
Lagosh's death has shaken the military community.
Riley Keys is the center operations manager for the United Service Organizations (USO) in Jacksonville. He said it is always difficult losing a service member, no matter the circumstances.
"A lot of things go through my mind, what are the sailors thinking about? What are their family members thinking about? And how do we get to the point where we can help support them?” Keys said.
The USO center is located right next to NAS Jax and serves members of every branch of the military and their families. Keys said during tragedies like this, the organization works with chaplains on the base to provide support to anyone who may need it.
"We have what we call our canine program, our canine program is there, we have a therapy dog. So a lot of our volunteers have dogs, and we are able to go to those different locations and something like this. It's good for physical needs, or emotional needs, or mental needs," Keys said.