NAPLES, Italy — The commanding officer of the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman died suddenly Tuesday.

Capt. Tushar Tembe, 49, was at Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Va., departing the ship at about 10 a.m. when he collapsed, according to a Navy release.

He was taken to the Bons Secours Maryview Medical Center where he was later pronounced dead, the release states.

A naval aviator, Tembe took command of the Truman this summer, according to the Navy. The ship was undergoing maintenance at the time of his death.

A graduate of Texas Tech University, Tembe was born in India, but came to the United States as a child. Tembe flew a variety of aircraft during his career, including the F/A-18 Hornet, the release states.

Tembe is survived by a wife and two sons, according to the Navy. Plans for a memorial service and funeral arrangements have not been finalized.

The ship’s executive officer, Capt. Craig Clapperton, has temporarily assumed command, the release states.

“Capt. Tembe served the Navy and our nation honorably and with great distinction,” Rear Adm. Ted Branch, Naval Air Force Atlantic commander, said in a statement.

Migrated