Soldier dies in incident at Army’s Joint Training Readiness Center

Editor’s note: This story was updated May 13 8:07 E.T. to include the soldier’s name.

Army officials announced that a soldier died Saturday during a training incident at the Joint Readiness Training Center in Louisiana.

1st Lt. Zachary Galli, who was assigned to the 749th Ordnance Company, 242nd Explosive Ordnance Battalion, 71st EOD Group at Fort Carson, Colorado, died in a noncombat related training accident, base officials said in a release Monday.

Galli, 23, was an explosive ordnance disposal officer from Williamsburg, Virginia.

“It is with an extremely heavy heart that I inform you of the passing of 1st Lt. Zachary Galli,” said Col. Brennan Fitzgerald, commander of the 71st EOD Group, in a release. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the friends and family of the Galli family, the 749th EOD Co., and the greater EOD community.”

The unit was at the Fort Johnson, Louisiana center for a training rotation.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the soldier’s family, friends, and colleagues during this difficult time,” said the Commanding General of JRTC and Fort Johnson, Maj. Gen. David W. Gardner, in a separate statement.

The training center is one of two major combat training centers used by soldiers for unit certification and pre-deployment training. The other is the National Training Center in Fort Irwin, California.

The accident is under investigation.