A U.S. soldier died Tuesday after receiving treatment for severe electrical burns sustained last week while on duty in Germany, the Army announced Friday.
Spc. Jaylin Perez, 32, from Largo, Florida, was found unresponsive by members of his unit as they conducted a cargo security inspection of U.S. military equipment that was moving by rail near Berlin, Germany, according to U.S. Army Europe and Africa.
First responders transported Perez to the Accident Burn Hospital in Berlin, where he later died. U.S. and German authorities are investigating the incident.
Perez was a member of the 51st Military Police Battalion, a unit of the South Carolina Army National Guard. He was deployed in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve with the 200th Military Police Command, the senior law enforcement organization of the U.S. Army Reserve.
โThis soldier was supporting U.S. defense and security efforts in Europe,โ Lt. Gen. Charles Costanza, commanding general of U.S. Army V Corps, said in a Friday release.
Maj. Gen. Susie Kuilan, commanding general of 200th Military Police Command, extended her condolences in the release to Perezโs family and friends, describing him as a โvalued member of our Army and Army Reserve family.โ
โSpc. Jaylin Perez was a proud and dedicated Soldier who answered our nationโs call and served with distinction while mobilized. His commitment to duty and his selfless service represents the very best of our Army,โ Kuilan said. โHis loss is felt deeply across the 200th Military Police Command, and we honor the legacy he leaves behind.โ
Nikki Wentling is a senior editor at Military Times. She’s reported on veterans and military communities for nearly a decade and has also covered technology, politics, health care and crime. Her work has earned multiple honors from the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, the Arkansas Associated Press Managing Editors and others.