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A Marine was killed during a nighttime training exercise at Camp Pendleton in California on Thursday, officials said.
He has been identified as Joseph Whaley, of Columbia, Tennessee.
Whaley, who graduated high school last year, died while participating in live-fire training at the base’s School of Infantry-West in California Thursday night, Marine recruiter Sgt. Blake Inlow told WSMV.
The school is one of two where entry-level Marines are trained to be combat-ready.
The School of Infantry-East is located at North Carolina’s Camp Geiger.
Whaley joined the Marines after graduating from Columbia Central High School in May 2022, Inlow said.
A photograph from his graduation ceremony shows the teen in purple robes alongside an unidentified Marine in uniform.
At the time of his death, Whaley was a student assigned to the San Diego County base.
His death was previously confirmed to multiple outlets by Maj. Joshua J. Pena.
Whaley’s cause of death is still undetermined.
“An investigation into the circumstances of the death is ongoing and the command is fully cooperating with the investigation efforts,” Pena wrote in an email to KTLA.
“[School of Infantry – West] is providing support to the family and peers of the deceased during this difficult time.”
No other details on the incident were immediately available.
The Marine’s death comes three years after eight Marines and a sailor were killed during a training exercise.
An amphibious assault vehicle with 16 people aboard sank in 385 feet of water off the coast of San Clemente Island on July 30, 2020.
Seven Marines were rescued, and the bodies of the others were located during underwater salvage operations.
The vehicles are used to transport troops and equipment from ships to land.
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