Eight months after a candidate for the U.S. Navy SEALs was killed, the Naval Special Warfare Command disclosed the results of its internal inquiry.
According to the NSWC, Mullen’s death occurred “in the line of duty, not owing to his own misbehavior.” The Armed Forces Medical Examiner concluded that Mullen died from acute pneumonia, with cardiomegaly playing a contributory role. He had just finished “Hell Week” with flying colors when he passed away.
Commander, of Naval Special Warfare Command, Rear Adm. Keith Davids, issued a statement expressing his condolences to Seaman Mullen’s family and friends.
Davids vowed that Kyle’s sacrifice would not be in vain. It is our moral duty to use the lessons learned from Kyle’s death to make the election process safer for everyone involved in the future.
As a result of the investigation, several police and high-ranking staff members were subject to disciplinary action.
A spokeswoman for Naval Special Warfare told PEOPLE that administrative actions have been launched against previous Basic Training Authority Commanding Officer Captain Bradley Geary, current Naval Special Warfare Center Commander Captain Brian Drechsler, and senior medical professionals under their command. Such measures will be evaluated as part of the ongoing examination by the Naval Education and Training Command.
In a press announcement from February, the Navy stated that Mullen, a former football player for Yale and Monmouth, had been pronounced dead at the Sharp Coronado Hospital in San Diego.
When Mullen, then 24 years old, and the rest of his Basic Underwater Demolition SEAL (BUD/S) class finished Hell Week, they were at the pinnacle of their training to become Navy SEALs.
According to the Navy, Mullen “was not actively training at the time of his death.”
Many people who knew Mullen took to social media after hearing of his death to express their condolences and pay tribute to him.
Kevin Callahan, the head football coach at Monmouth University, paid tribute to his players in a Facebook post “The untimely loss of Kyle Mullen has affected all of us deeply.
He will be remembered as a member of our 2019 championship team and not just as a terrific player, but as a great guy and a great teammate as well.”
About one-fifth of those who start “Hell Week” training actually finish it, as reported by NBC News.
According to the source, each year the program graduates between 200 and 250 SEALs. According to ABC News, James Lovelace, 21, was the final recruit to pass away during training. According to the media, he drowned in a pool at the school in May of 2016.