A New Jersey Army National Guardsman died from the coronavirus on Saturday — the US military’s first loss of life from the illness, government officials announced Monday.
Captain Douglas Linn Hickok had been hospitalized with the virus since March 21, according to officials.
“This is a stinging loss for our military community, and our condolences go out to his family, friends, civilian co-workers and the entire National Guard community,” Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said in a statement.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said in a tweet that Hickok, originally from Jackson, NJ, was also a physician’s assistant.
The Department of Defense in January adopted measures to help protect its service members against the coronavirus, including social distancing mandates and the cancellation of certain training activities.