Navy EOD Officer Dies During Training in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii

A junior Navy EOD officer died during explosive ordnance training at Marine Corps Base Hawaii in Kaneohe Bay on Wednesday, April 20.

Lt. j.g. Aaron Fowler, 29, died while participating in a training evolution with Marines at the Hawaii base. Fowler became unresponsive during the training and was pronounced dead at a hospital, the Navy said in a release. No other details of the incident were released by the Navy.

“Our deepest sympathies go out to Aaron’s family and friends, and we join them in remembering and mourning this brave warrior,” said Rear Adm. Joseph Diguardo Jr., commander, Navy Expeditionary Combat Command. “His decision to join this elite special operations community was a testament to the dedicated and selfless character he embodied and his legacy will endure in our ranks through those he inspired by his service.”

Fowler took a rarely traveled route to his position with EOD, enlisting in 2012, then attending the Naval Academy and commissioning in May 2018. He reported to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit One in Point Loma near San Diego in January 2022.

Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit One, based in San Diego, supports the fleet and joint force by clearing explosive hazards to provide access to denied areas, securing the undersea domain for freedom of maneuver, building and fostering relationships with capable and trusted partners, and protecting the homeland.

EOD operators routinely deploy and operate with surface naval forces and both conventional ground combat and special operations forces from all branches.

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