{"id":45107,"date":"2022-10-20T21:22:01","date_gmt":"2022-10-20T21:22:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/uncategorized\/2022\/10\/20\/army-reveals-new-details-on-seal-team-commanders-training-death\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T19:44:25","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T19:44:25","slug":"army-reveals-new-details-on-seal-team-commanders-training-death","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/your-navy\/2022\/10\/20\/army-reveals-new-details-on-seal-team-commanders-training-death\/","title":{"rendered":"Army reveals new details on SEAL team commander\u2019s training death"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A Navy SEAL team commander\u2019s death during a helicopter training event last December had several primary causes, officials confirmed for the first time Thursday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They included communication issues within the aircraft, an early release of the rope that then-Cmdr. Brian Bourgeois used to descend to the target area, and \u201ca lack of adequate communication between the aircrew and the partner ground force,\u201d special operations officials confirmed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bourgeois, 43, was fatally injured Dec. 4, 2021, during the fast-rope Joint Special Operations Command training evolution in Virginia Beach, Virginia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The decorated combat veteran and commander of SEAL Team 8 fell 40 feet from an Army Black Hawk helicopter and succumbed to his injuries Dec. 7, 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His wife and family were with him when he passed, Navy leadership said at the time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The new details of what lead to Bourgeois\u2019 death were made public Thursday by U.S. Army Special Operations Command, or USASOC, which has taken the lead in the investigation because the mishap helicopter belonged to the Army\u2019s 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment.<\/p>\n\n\n\t