A 23-year-old Alaska-based soldier passed away Tuesday while on leave out of state.
Specialist Norman Eugene Thiell Jr. of the Army’s 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team’s 1st Batallion at Fort Wainwright near Fairbanks was visiting family in Florida during his leave.
The case is being investigated as an accidental overdose, although the Lake County Sheriff’s Department has not said which substances may have played a roll.
Army officials declined to comment on whether Thiell had undergone counseling or treatment while serving in Alaska the last two years, citing privacy considerations.
This is the second death of a soldier based at Fort Wainwright in less than a week. On July 10th, three-time combat veteran Sergeant Stanley Daniels Jr. was killed in a motorcycle accident in Fairbanks.
Zachariah Hughes reports on city & state politics, arts & culture, drugs, and military affairs in Anchorage and South Central Alaska.
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