An Army reservist based in Wisconsin has died from COVID-19, becoming the third service member to die in the pandemic, Stars and Stripes reported Tuesday, citing multiple DOD officials, who confirmed the fatality but gave reporters few details.
DOD spokesperson Jonathan Hoffman said it did not appear that the service member had been working actively on the coronavirus response efforts.
Navy Chief Petty Officer Robert Thacker Jr. died of COVID-19 complications in April, the only fatality among the more than 1,000 coronavirus cases aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt. Army Capt. Douglas Linn Hickock, a member of the New Jersey National Guard, died in March.
Over the holiday weekend, the military surpassed more than 6,000 known coronavirus infections among active duty troops, which is a lower rate than in the U.S. population at large. The Pentagon also reported Tuesday that 1,422 DOD civilian employees, 1,042 dependents and 580 defense contractors had tested positive for COVID-19.
Air Force photo by Kemberly Groue