Captain Douglas Linn Hickok, 57, a New Jersey Army National Guard soldier died after contracting coronavirus and being hospitalised on March 21.
New Jersey Governor. Phil Murphy condoled the death of the drilling Guardsman and physician assistant.
Hickok was the first service member to die after testing positive for COVID-19.
Defence Secretary Mark Esper said it was “a sad day for the Department of Defense as we have lost our first American service member — active, reserve or Guard — to coronavirus.
“This is a stinging loss for our military community, and our condolences go out to his family, friends, civilian co-workers and the entire National Guard community,” Esper added.
“The news of this loss strengthens our resolve to work ever more closely with our interagency partners to stop the spread of COVID-19.”
Hickok was a Pennsylvania resident at his death and passed away in a Pennsylvania hospital.
He was not mobilized in the COVID-19 efforts, according to Kryn Westhoven, a New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs spokeswoman.
Air Force General Joseph Lengyel, Chief of the National Guard Bureau, said in a Tweet that he was “deeply saddened by the COVID-19-related death of Douglas Linn Hickok, a physician assistant & New Jersey National Guardsman. All of us in the #NationalGuard are grateful for his service to our nation, as a Citizen & as a Soldier.”