
Army ROTC cadet from New Jersey dies during training in Kentucky
Neil Edara of Ridgewood, New Jersey, died after becoming unresponsive during land navigation training at U.S. Army installation Fort Knox on Thursday, the U.S. Army Cadet Command said in a statement Saturday.
He was attending Cadet Summer Training as part of 9th Regiment, Advanced Camp, the command said. He received medical attention at the scene before being taken by helicopter to University of Louisville Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, it said.
Edara was at the installation's land navigation site, the command said, which is used to teach cadets how to determine locations and distances for travel and targeting.
High temperatures in the area of Fort Knox have been in the low 90s in recent days, according to National Weather Service data.
The weather service on Sunday issued an urgent weather message to extend a heat advisory for the region through Wednesday night. 'Hot temperatures and high humidity may cause heat illnesses,' the message warned.
The Army Cadet Command's news release announcing Edara's death did not mention the heat wave gripping much of the South and Midwest, and what caused his death is under investigation.
'Safety of cadets and cadre remains U.S. Army Cadet Command's top priority as training continues,' the command said in its statement.
The command said Edara joined the ROTC at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey, in 2021.
Lt. Col. Timothy Sorensen, a Rutgers professor of military science, said Edara had the heart of a leader.
'Cadet Edara was one of the most dedicated and promising young leaders I've had the privilege to know,' he said in the command's statement. 'His calm collected demeanor and unwavering commitment to excellence left a lasting impact on everyone around him."

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NBC News
28-07-2025
- NBC News
Army ROTC cadet from New Jersey dies during training in Kentucky
A 22-year-old U.S. Army ROTC cadet died during training in Kentucky last week, officials said. Neil Edara of Ridgewood, New Jersey, died after becoming unresponsive during land navigation training at U.S. Army installation Fort Knox on Thursday, the U.S. Army Cadet Command said in a statement Saturday. He was attending Cadet Summer Training as part of 9th Regiment, Advanced Camp, the command said. He received medical attention at the scene before being taken by helicopter to University of Louisville Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, it said. Edara was at the installation's land navigation site, the command said, which is used to teach cadets how to determine locations and distances for travel and targeting. High temperatures in the area of Fort Knox have been in the low 90s in recent days, according to National Weather Service data. The weather service on Sunday issued an urgent weather message to extend a heat advisory for the region through Wednesday night. 'Hot temperatures and high humidity may cause heat illnesses,' the message warned. The Army Cadet Command's news release announcing Edara's death did not mention the heat wave gripping much of the South and Midwest, and what caused his death is under investigation. 'Safety of cadets and cadre remains U.S. Army Cadet Command's top priority as training continues,' the command said in its statement. The command said Edara joined the ROTC at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey, in 2021. Lt. Col. Timothy Sorensen, a Rutgers professor of military science, said Edara had the heart of a leader. 'Cadet Edara was one of the most dedicated and promising young leaders I've had the privilege to know,' he said in the command's statement. 'His calm collected demeanor and unwavering commitment to excellence left a lasting impact on everyone around him."


Business Wire
23-07-2025
- Business Wire
A New Standard of Living: Vitacorps Begins Installation of Advanced Wellness Technology in U.S. Army Housing
WARWICK, R.I.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Vitacorps, a leader in integrated wellness solutions for military environments, today announced the first installations of its innovative mission readiness solution are underway in homes at Fort Bragg, N.C., and Fort Meade, Md. This marks the beginning of a large-scale initiative to enhance the indoor environments of more than 4,500 homes across three major U.S. Army installations, including a future rollout at Fort Riley, Kan. The Vitacorps program is driven by a comprehensive process designed to help support the health, well-being, and readiness of service members and their families. This involves rigorous infield assessment of indoor conditions and resulting prescriptions of 3 rd -party tested interventions engineered to achieve certifiable indoor health outcomes across air and water quality, lighting and excess humidity. By holistically improving the indoor environment, Vitacorps aims to enhance soldier readiness, improve performance, strengthen family resilience, and contribute to the retention of military personnel. 'We are proud to begin the installation of our comprehensive wellness solution, bringing a new standard of healthy living to our nation's military families,' said Rob Bellmar, president of Vitacorps. 'Our seven-step program creates healthier living environments without major infrastructure investments or the need for temporary resident relocation. We bring together indoor environment and building experts to deliver scalable, research-based solutions that are designed to enhance well-being and operational effectiveness.' The initiative follows successful pilots that validated significant post-implementation enhancements to air and water quality, humidity control, and lighting conditions. Key enhancements being deployed include: Air Purification: Providing purified air throughout the entire home. Water Filtration: Ensuring access to high-quality filtered water. Excess Humidity Control: Implementing solutions to manage and reduce indoor humidity. Circadian Lighting: Installing lighting systems that support natural sleep cycles and increase mental acuity. Residents at a community participating in the pilot of the Vitacorps program reported an 82% increase in satisfaction with on-post housing. The U.S. Army approved the rapid rollout of the program to communities covering more than 15,000 residents after initial data showed an overwhelmingly positive response and significant improvements across multiple thresholds, with prototype installations being validated and certified to the WELL Building Standard™, the world's leading benchmark for indoor health. This initiative advances the National Defense Strategy's goal of a strong, healthy, and ready force and aligns with the Army's Holistic Health and Fitness (H2F) program, which promotes health and well-being for peak performance. About Vitacorps Vitacorps transforms military living with an evidence-based, integrated wellness solution designed to help enhance service members' health, performance, and quality of life. Unlike fragmented, one-off solutions, our comprehensive seven-step process improves indoor environmental quality to help bolster service member performance. Designed for scalability and streamlined implementation, the Vitacorps Program elevates military infrastructure into strategic assets that help bolster national defense and operational readiness.


Cosmopolitan
16-07-2025
- Cosmopolitan
Improve Your Holistic Health and Fitness the Army Way
Your socials are full of tips, tricks, and hacks for achieving health and wellness, but with so many self-proclaimed experts out there it can be really difficult to understand what's effective and how to formulate a plan you can stick to. Improving yourself is a holistic endeavor, so you need a strategy that supports your overall wellbeing versus piecemeal pointers. This is why the U.S. Army officially launched its Holistic Health and Fitness (H2F) system in 2020. Composed of five readiness domains—physical, nutritional, sleep, mental, and spiritual—and implemented in more than 50 (and counting) brigades across the force, it has become the standard for developing well-rounded, well-adjusted, well-equipped soldiers. "H2F is about looking at the whole soldier, not just the physical aspect. It's a comprehensive approach to readiness," says Capt. Emily Rice of the 81st Readiness Division at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. "We're shifting the culture from just passing the Army Fitness Test (AFT) test to truly taking care of soldiers in all aspects of their health and performance." We have teamed up with Rice and Sgt. Melina Wilkinson, a command team administrator and noncommissioned officer at the 16th Combat Aviation Brigade at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, in Washington, to highlight five core principles from each H2F domain that soldiers rely on to stay mission-ready and resilient—along with ways that you can incorporate them into your own life to become your best self. (Srsly!) The goal of the H2F physical readiness domain isn't to create specialists—it's to build versatile, durable athletes. "Working on cardio and endurance is just as important as strength training; we don't just focus on one or the other," says Wilkinson. "When we're fully geared up, we're carrying 50 pounds or more on our bodies over extended periods, and that puts a lot of stress on the muscles and skeletal structure." To meet that demand, soldiers train year-round with H2F performance teams, including strength coaches and physical therapists. They run, ruck, and lift weights. They do yoga and obstacle courses. Some soldiers do triathlons; others compete in martial arts. Yes, it's a lot, but "being a hybrid athlete is key to longevity in the Army," Wilkinson says. Soldiers don't do advanced lifts or carry heavy packs for long distances right out of the gate, and neither should any of us. "We start small and progress gradually," Wilkinson says. "That's especially beneficial for newer soldiers who aren't physically or mentally ready to do, say, a 12-miler. This 'crawl, walk, run' approach allows us to ruck those long distances without injuries." If you were expecting a rigid, calorie-counting meal plan from the Army, you're in for a treat: The H2F approach to nutrition is surprisingly flexible. "One of the most important things is to keep it simple," says Rice, who is also a registered dietitian, a certified strength-and-conditioning coach, and a certified specialist in sports dietetics. "Our diet culture tends to make nutrition really complicated, but it doesn't need to be. Focus on whole foods, and understand the three macronutrients (protein, fat, carbohydrates)—what they do for our bodies and where to find them in food." And while many nutritionists focus on protein, Rice also leans into carbs. "People are often afraid of carbohydrates, because they've been told they're bad," she says. "We all know protein is important for being strong, but carbohydrates are the foundation that provide your body the fuel it needs to perform." If you've got a long day or workout ahead, throw some carb-rich snacks in your bag beforehand. Rice recommends nutrient-dense whole grains and starchy vegetables, but otherwise she's not too picky. "You still have room for fun foods in the diet," she says. "And yes, a cookie is a carbohydrate that can serve a purpose at times, like on a long ruck. If you need quick energy for a sustained distance, a cookie or some gummy bears can be your best friend." Quality sleep fuels performance as much as, if not more than, nutrition. Need proof? Pull an all-nighter before a full workday and then work out. On second thought, don't. "Lack of sleep significantly impairs both mental and physical performance," Rice says. "Mentally, it slows reaction time, affects memory and decision-making, and increases stress and irritability. Physically, it reduces coordination and strength and slows recovery time." H2F encourages soldiers to get the quality sleep they need whenever and wherever they can, including those times when eight-hour overnight bouts aren't a thing due to deployments or unconventional schedules. "Naps are our best friend in the Army because of how demanding our lives are," Wilkinson says. "Take lunch, get a 20-minute nap, and you can knock out the rest of the day without any issues." Nighttime is still the best bet for quality sleep for us civilians, but late-day caffeine and scrolling right up to bedtime can seriously interfere. "Electronic-device usage, TV time, and caffeine intake at the end of the day can disrupt the sleep cycle, particularly deep sleep," Wilkinson says. Rice recommends cutting off coffee and energy drinks in the early afternoon, and avoiding screens for at least two hours before bed. Painful—but worth it, trust us. No matter what you do, your mental game ultimately decides the outcome. "If your mind is strong, your body is strong—the two are interchangeable, because without mental resilience you can't push yourself physically," says Wilkinson, who learned this lesson up close and personal while recovering from a broken tibia and fibula (two bones located in the lower leg) endured while participating in a military softball tournament in 2022. In H2F, mental resilience isn't about gritting your teeth and shoving through; it's about using tools that help you stay calm and think clearly in high-stress situations. One of Wilkinson's favorites is controlled breathing, "because the body's natural reaction during stressful moments is to have an elevated heart rate and shallow or heavy breathing," she says, adding that breath work helped her fight through pain and discomfort during her rehab sessions. "Taking a deep breath will help you remain even-keeled, so you can fully assess the situation without making any emotional and rash decisions." Wilkinson offers a simple breathing protocol when stress hits: Inhale deeply through your nose, hold your breath for two to three seconds, then exhale through your mouth until you're relaxed. "You do that five times," she says, "and it'll help regulate your nervous system and bring your heart rate down." While the other H2F pillars focus on strategies and tools, the spiritual domain is focused on the individual: It's not so much about what you do, but rather what you draw from—your values, your purpose. "This isn't necessarily religious," Rice says. "It's more about a sense of meaning in what you're doing and feeling, connected to something bigger than yourself." "Spirituality is your base," Wilkinson agrees. "It's what keeps you going long-term. When things get really hard and you're questioning your faith and reason, relying on your base is the foundation that helps you keep moving forward." "We have something called a 'why wall' that soldiers use to write down their purpose or motivation," Rice says. "It could be their family, their kids, their goals, or just wanting to be the best version of themselves. That helps them stay grounded." The rest of us can do this too, using words, photos, or other reminders of what's most important to us. "I try to always come back to why I'm doing something," Wilkinson says. "Why I joined, why I'm here, why I want to be better. It helps on those days when it's hard to get up and go."