Navy, Ghana police continue to investigate death of 2 sailors

[unhappycamper]

Navy, Ghana police continue to investigate death of 2 sailors
By Charlie Coon, Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Friday, January 11, 2008

The bodies of two U.S. sailors found dead on New Year’s morning in a Ghana hotel room were examined by a coroner and flown back to the U.S., but the Navy is declining to say how the sailors died.

Seaman Lonnie Lee Davis Jr., 35, of Riverdale, Ga., and Petty Officer 1st Class Patrick Brendan Mack, 22, of Warren, Mich., were discovered by a fellow sailor who was staying at the La Palm Royal Beach Hotel in Accra, the Ghanaian capital.

Davis and Mack were on liberty from the USS Fort McHenry, which was in port at Tema, located about 18 miles east of Accra. The Fort McHenry is the flagship of a U.S. military presence in the Gulf of Guinea.

Lt. Patrick Foughty, a spokesman with the Naples, Italy-based 6th Fleet, said the bodies of the two sailors were examined Saturday at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany. Foughty said the Navy would not publicly release the preliminary results of the autopsy.

“It’s part of an investigation, and since it is ongoing we want to make sure we have everything together,” Foughty said. “We want to make sure we make the right assessment as to what happened.”


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=51542

[BOSSHOG]

1. I think

the reporter got the names and ranks mixed up. 35 year old Seaman (E3)? 22 year old first class (E6)?

[unhappycamper]

2. With current recruiting rules, the age difference is entirely possible. n/t

[BOSSHOG]

3. A 35 year old Seaman is a distinct possibility for many reasons

but no way would a 22 year old be a First Class.

[rakeeb]

4. 33 was entirely possible 20 years ago...

when I was in basic in 1993, there was a 33 year old and several 30 and 31 year old recruits in our company.

And one year later, I was a 24 year old E4 working for a 25 year old E7, (and this was right after the drawdown when the higher ranks were over-strength and openings for promotion were few) so yes a 22 year old E6 is entirely possible