Active duty soldier, 43, dies of COVID-19 in Germany December 16, 2020 Staff Sgt. Setariki Korovakaturaga, 43, assigned to the 44th Expeditionary Signal Battalion, 2nd Theater Signal Brigade in Baumholder, Germany, died Dec. 9, of COVID-19 complications. Korovakaturaga, a sergeant at the time of his death, was posthumously promoted. (Army) A soldier who tested positive for the novel coronavirus and was quarantining at his home near Baumholder, Germany, died Dec. 9 after his wife attempted to bring him to the hospital when his condition worsened, according to U.S. Army Europe and local news reports. Staff Sgt. Setariki Korovakaturaga, 43, was assigned to the 44th Expeditionary Signal Battalion, 2nd Theater Signal Brigade, at the time of his death and is the first soldier assigned to Army Europe to die of COVID-19, according to the command. A sergeant at the time of his death, Korovakaturaga was posthumouly promoted.
By JENNIFER H. SVAN | STARS AND STRIPES Published: December 15, 2020
Stars and Stripes is making stories on the coronavirus pandemic available free of charge. See other free reports here. Sign up for our daily coronavirus newsletter here. Please support our journalism with a subscription. KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany A Baumholder soldier who collapsed while being driven to a military hospital last week died of coronavirus complications, the Army confirmed Tuesday. Sgt. Setariki Korovakaturaga, 43, had “previously tested positive for COVID-19 and was at home on quarantine when he began experiencing increased symptoms,” U.S. Army Europe and Africa said in a statement. “He died en route to the hospital,” the statement said.
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THE TOPLINE: An active-duty U.S. soldier died last week from COVID-19, the Army confirmed Tuesday, marking the military’s second active-duty death and 14th death overall during the pandemic.
Sgt. Setariki Korovakaturaga, a 43-year-old soldier assigned to the 44th Expeditionary Signal Battalion, 2nd Theater Signal Brigade in Baumholder, Germany, died last Wednesday while en route to the hospital, U.S. Army Europe and Africa said in a news release.
Army confirms Baumholder soldier died of coronavirus complications stripes.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from stripes.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
“We were shocked and deeply saddened by the sudden and tragic loss of Staff Sergeant Setariki Korovakaturaga last week. He was a tremendous Soldier and teammate in our unit,” said Lt. Col. Jason Kendzierski, 44th Expeditionary Signal Battalion commander, in a statement.
The Pentagon has reported 14 coronavirus-related deaths among uniformed soldiers out of more than 93,000 cases.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife and children,” Lt. Col. Kendzierski said. “The outpouring of support from the community has been heartwarming and is indicative of how much he will be missed throughout the formation and community.”
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