Fort Rucker officials are investigating the death of an officer who fell ill during training Sunday in southern Alabama.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
First Lt. William \u201cBlake\u201d Pickel, 30, was identified by post officials as the soldier who died after being airlifted to a local hospital.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pickel was undergoing survival training when he \u201cexperienced a health-related issue requiring aeromedical evacuation to the hospital,\u201d Fort Rucker officials said in a statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSince it is currently under investigation, I cannot speculate on the findings or what the health related issue was,” Jimmie Cummings, the post\u2019s director of public affairs, told Army Times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pickel, who was assigned to 1st Aviation Brigade on post, died after being medically evacuated to Southeast Health Medical Center, roughly 25 miles east of Fort Rucker. He was pronounced dead at approximately 9 p.m., officials said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pickel, from Cleveland, Tennessee, had been in the Army since 2007 and had prior combat deployments to both Iraq and Afghanistan as an enlisted soldier and medic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n