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A young Army Cadet who was attending Cadet Summer Training at Fort Knox died while on the Land Navigation site. He has been identified as Neil Edara from Ridgewood, N.J.
Edara died during training on July 24, 2025. He joined the ROTC program at Rutgers University in September 2021. He was attending Cadet Summer Training as part of 9th Regiment, Advanced Camp, according to an Army ROTC social media post.
The post said Edara became unresponsive during a training exercise. He was medically evacuated by helicopter to the University of Louisville, where he was pronounced deceased by medical professionals.
According to the military's website, land navigation training includes "basic dismounted land navigation skills during day and night conditions, mounted land navigation, range estimation, terrain analysis, and call for fire."
At this time, the 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,” Lt. Col. Timothy Sorensen, professor of military science, Rutgers University, said. “His calm collected demeanor and unwavering commitment to excellence left a lasting impact on everyone around him. His loss is deeply felt across the entire ROTC and Rutgers community. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and loved ones during this incredibly difficult time.”
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