Coast Guard Recruit Collapses after Training Run and Dies

CAPE MAY, N.J. – A U.S. Coast Guard Seaman recruit who collapsed last week after a physical fitness run at a training center in New Jersey has died, said a Coast Guard spokesman

The USCG confirmed the death Wednesday, but said the cause of death hasn't been determined. The young man was participating in a training run last month at the Cape May boot camp, the only one in the 43,000 member coast guard. He collapsed last Friday morning just after the completion of a 2 kilometer jog.

Medical personnel on scene for the training immediately responded. The recruit was taken to a hospital, but died anyway.

The Coast Guard's training center in Cape May NJ is its only boot camp. Until 1990, it also operated a boot camp on Government Island, Oakland, CA, but closed it as a cost saving measure.

The Coast Guard says it will conduct a full investigation into the recruit's death, and that his name and hometown haven't been released because relatives are still being notified about the death. This is standard procedure in such cases.

The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is a branch of the United States Armed Forces, and one of the country's seven uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the U.S. military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission (with jurisdiction in both domestic and international waters) and a federal regulatory agency mission as part of its mission set. It operates under the U.S. Department of Homeland Security during peacetime, and can be transferred to the U.S. Department of the Navy by the U.S. President at any time, or by the U.S. Congress during times of war. This has happened twice, in 1917, during World War I, and in 1941, during World War II.

Newly enlisted personnel are sent to eight weeks of recruit training at Coast Guard Training Center Cape May in Cape May, New Jersey. New recruits arrive at Sexton Hall and remain there for three days of initial processing which includes haircuts, vaccinations, uniform issue, and other necessary entrance procedures.

During this initial processing period, the new recruits are led by temporary company commanders. These temporary company commanders are tasked with teaching the new recruits how to march and preparing them to enter into their designated company. The temporary company commanders typically do not enforce any physical activity such as push ups or crunches. When the initial processing is complete, the new seaman recruits are introduced to their permanent company commanders who will remain with them until the end of training. There is typically a designated lead company commander and two support company commanders. The balance of the eight-week boot camp is spent in learning teamwork and developing physical skills. An introduction of how the Coast Guard operates with special emphasis on the Coast Guard's core values is an important part of the training.