Sept. 20 (UPI) — The Navy on Wednesday identified the sailor who died during a mishap on aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush as Airman Apprentice Joseph Min Naglak.
Naglak died Monday on the flight deck after he was struck by the turning propeller of an E-2C Hawkeye. The incident happened during routine operations while the vessel was operating in the Atlantic Ocean. No other service members sustained injuries.
“The loss of a shipmate is a heartbreaking experience for a crew of a naval vessel and those aboard USS George H.W. Bush will mourn Naglak’s passing and remember him always for his devoted service and sacrifice to our nation,” a statement from the office of Naval Air Force Atlantic Cmdr. Dave Hecht said.
The military was investigating the cause of the incident.
Naglak, of New Jersey, enlisted in the Navy in April 2017.
The USS George H.W. Bush was among nearly 30 vessels sortied from Norfolk, Va., earlier this month ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Florence on the East Coast.
Hecht, a public affairs officer, told UPI the aircraft carrier had already been scheduled to go to sea but left three to four days early due to the storm.
The USS George H.W. Bush resumed normal flight operations Tuesday afternoon.
