Camp Lejeune Sergeant Identified as Marine Killed During Training in North Carolina

The Marine Corps has identified the service member killed during a training event in North Carolina last week.

Sgt. Colin Arslanbas, a Marine with the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, or MEU, died Thursday evening during a training incident in the vicinity of Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. The incident occurred during the evening, according to II Marine Expeditionary Force, the MEU's parent unit, which released a statement identifying Arslanbas.

The incident is currently under investigation. The statement did not say how or during what kind of training Arslanbas' death occurred.

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"Words cannot convey our sorrow for the tragic loss of one of our MEU family members," Col. Todd Mahar, 24th MEU commanding officer, said in a statement Saturday. "The 24th MEU family mourns the loss of an outstanding Marine and leader. We offer our deepest condolences and unwavering support to his family during this most difficult time."

Military.com attempted to reach Arslanbas' family over the weekend, but was unsuccessful. Arslanbas, a reconnaissance Marine, was a member of the Maritime Special Purpose Force, or MSPF -- a specialized unit within the MEU that can conduct direct-action raids and reconnaissance, among other tasks.

An earlier statement from II MEF said that the incident occurred during a training exercise in Carteret County, North Carolina, a coastal area of the state.

Arslanbas enlisted in the Marine Corps on March 15, 2020. He was promoted to the rank of sergeant this month and was stationed at Camp Lejeune at the time of his death. His awards include the Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and National Defense Service Medal.

Earlier last week, the 24th MEU was conducting training to include noncombatant evacuation operations ahead of the unit's deployment. The training is the unit's final "at-sea" exercise prior to the deployment, which will occur in conjunction with the Wasp Amphibious Ready Group.

Nearly eight months ago, Lance Cpl. Joseph Whaley died during the 13-week Basic Reconnaissance Course at Camp Pendleton, California. His death occurred during a night live-fire training event on Aug. 17.

In March, the commander of the School of Infantry-West, where Whaley died, and the commander of the Reconnaissance Training Company, were both fired for "loss of trust and confidence in their ability to execute the responsibilities of their commands," according to a statement from the service at the time.

Officials did not give a specific reason for the firings, and it is unclear whether they were related to Whaley's death.

Related: Camp Lejeune Marine Killed During Training in Eastern North Carolina, Service Says