Army ROTC cadets participate in a Land Navigation Training conducted at Camp Santiago Joint Training Center in Salinas, Puerto Rico, Sept. 29, 2018. On Thursday, July 24, 2025, an ROTC cadet became unresponsive during a Land Navigation Training in Fort Knox, Ky. He was later declared dead. The incident is still under investigation. (Waldemar Rivera/U.S. Army)
(Tribune News Service) — A Rutgers University ROTC cadet died Thursday while attending a summer training program at the Fort Knox Army base in Kentucky, authorities said.
Neil Edara, 22, became unresponsive while conducting Land Navigation Training, according to the U.S. Army ROTC Cadet Command.
Edara received medical attention at the scene and was taken by helicopter to the University of Louisville, where he was pronounced dead.
The cause of death is under investigation, Army officials said.
According to his LinkedIn, Edara was enrolled at Rutgers in New Brunswick, where he was majoring in biology and set to graduate next year.
He was also a part-time emergency medical technician, according to his LinkedIn.
Edara joined the ROTC at Rutgers in September 2021. He was attending the summer training program as a part of the 9th Regiment, Advanced Camp.
“Cadet Edara was one of the most dedicated and promising young leaders I’ve had the privilege to know,” Lt. Col. Timothy Sorensen, professor of military science, Rutgers University, said in a statement.
“His calm, collected demeanor and unwavering commitment to excellence left a lasting impact on everyone around him.
Sorenson said the loss is deeply felt across the ROTC and Rutgers University communities.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and loved ones during this incredibly difficult time,” Sorenson said.
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