A U.S. Army cadet from New Jersey went unresponsive while training at Fort Knox in Kentucky last week and was later pronounced dead.

The cadet, 22-year-old Neil Edara of Ridgewood, joined the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps at Rutgers University in 2021 and was at Fort Knox for a summer training camp. On Thursday, he was training in land navigation when he collapsed and went unresponsive, the Army Cadet Command said Saturday.

People on-site gave Edara medical treatment, and a helicopter rushed him to the University of Louisville, where medical personnel pronounced him dead.

The command said Edara’s cause of death is under investigation.

“Cadet Edara was one of the most dedicated and promising young leaders I’ve had the privilege to know. … His loss is deeply felt across the entire ROTC and Rutgers community. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and loved ones,” Lt. Col. Timothy Sorensen, professor of military science at Rutgers, said.

Next month, the school will commemorate Edara’s graduation and honor his degrees, a major in biological science and a minor in exercise science and military science. Edara was working toward becoming a trauma surgeon for the Army, inspired by his grandfather’s service in the army of India, according to his obituary in The Record of northern New Jersey.

A private memorial service was held for Edara on Monday, according to ABC News.

• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.