Navy officials have identified the sailor killed onboard the aircraft carrier George H.W. Bush on Monday as Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Handling) Airman Apprentice Joseph Min Naglak.
In a statement released by Naval Air Force Atlantic, Navy officials said that Naglak died as the result of being struck by the turning propeller of an E-2C Hawkeye aircraft on Sept. 17 after securing the aircraft to the flight deck.
RELATED
A native of New Jersey, Naglak had been in the Navy for roughly a year and a half at the time of his death.
After enlisting in April 2017, he attended recruit training at Great Lakes, Illinois, and follow-on training in in Pensacola, Florida, he reported onboard the Bush in August of 2017.
The cause of the mishap remains under investigation, the release said.
RELATED
Meanwhile, the ship’s crew got back to work, remaining underway in the Atlantic and resuming flight operations to complete naval pilot aircraft carrier qualifications, the release said.
“The loss of a shipmate is a heartbreaking experience for a crew of a naval vessel,” said Cmdr. Dave Hecht, spokesman for Naval Air Force Atlantic. “Those aboard USS George H.W. Bush will mourn Naglak’s passing and remember him always for his devoted service and sacrifice to our nation.”
Mark D. Faram is a former reporter for Navy Times. He was a senior writer covering personnel, cultural and historical issues. A nine-year active duty Navy veteran, Faram served from 1978 to 1987 as a Navy Diver and photographer.
