Second drill sergeant dies at Army’s Fort Jackson in eight days

An Army drill sergeant died Saturday at South Carolina‘s Fort Jackson, making him the second drill sergeant to die in eight days.

Staff Sgt. Zachary Melton was declared dead after he was found unresponsive in his vehicle, according to a Monday release by Fort Jackson.

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Melton, 30, who had spent over 10 years in the Army, had failed to report to his duty before he was found, and no cause of death has been confirmed.

“We are extremely saddened by the loss of Staff Sgt. Melton,” Brig. Gen. Jason Kelly, Fort Jackson commanding general, said.

“Our thoughts are with his family and the soldiers of the Always Forward battalion during this very emotional time.”

Melton’s death came a little over a week after the death of 34-year-old Staff Sgt. Allen Burtram.

Burtram had spent 12 years in the Army, including 18 months as a drill sergeant, and had deployed to both Kuwait and Korea, according to a Dec. 12 Fort Jackson release.

“Unit members located Burtram shortly after he failed to report for work. Fort Jackson Emergency Medical Services were called and pronounced him deceased upon their arrival,” the release said. “The U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division is investigating but there is no apparent evidence of foul play.”

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Fort Jackson is working to provide support for its troops in the wake of the two deaths, according to Kelly.

“As a Fort Jackson community, we are mourning the tragic loss of two of our drill sergeants within the past few weeks,” Kelly said. “While there are several ongoing investigations into the specifics of each of these deaths, we are taking very deliberate steps to ensure our resiliency resource offerings are adequate and responsive.”