Army recruit found dead at base in South Carolina

A 29-year-old Army recruit died at his South Carolina base — marking the fourth death there in a year, according to a report.

Pvt. Michael Wise of Wisconsin was discovered dead in his barracks Saturday at Fort Jackson in Columbia, officials said.

“This is a difficult time for everyone who knew Michael and we continue to provide comfort to his teammates,” Fort Jackson Commander Brig. Gen. Milford H. Beagle Jr. said in a statement.

The cause of his death wasn’t released, though it wasn’t related to coronavirus or a training exercise, officials said.

Other deaths have been linked to the base in the last 12 months.

Pvt. Andrew McLean, 18, died on Sept. 19, 2019, after experiencing a medical emergency while preparing for an outdoor training drill, The State reported.

Then in January, Pvt. Connor J. McGurran, a 19-year-old Minnesota National Guard Army Soldier, was found unresponsive after a field exercise on the base, officials said.

And Pvt. Angel Cortes, a 29-year-old National Guard Army Soldier from Connecticut, suffered a fatal medical emergency following a “non-strenuous activity” during combat training in March.