Aspiring Navy SEAL candidate dies after completing Hell Week training
Kyle Mullen's former football coach in New Jersey, Ed Gurrieri, and his friend Taylor Aloisio joined 'Fox & Friends' to discuss the tragic loss. Mullen's cause of death is under investigation.
The U.S. Navy has taken administrative actions against three current or former senior staffers in the sudden February death of SEAL candidate and Seaman Kyle Mullen, officials announced Wednesday.
The Naval Special Warfare Command announced Wednesday, more than eight months after Mullen's sudden death, that Mullen died from acute pneumonia, with a contributing factor of an enlarged heart.
The agency also described how Mullen was in possession of performance-enhancing drugs but noted that such substances did not contribute to his death.
Officials ruled that Mullen’s death was "in the line of duty, not due to his own misconduct."
Navy SEAL candidate Kyle Mullen is seen in these photos provided by his family. (Provided to Fox News Digital)
A spokesperson for the Naval Special Warfare Command confirmed to Fox News Digital Wednesday that the agency has taken "administrative actions," but not disciplinary action, against a former commanding officer of the Basic Training Command, the commander of the Naval Special Warfare Center and some senior medical staff.
The spokesperson would not specify what kind of "administrative actions" were taken but added that the decision would be reviewed during the ongoing Naval Education and Training Command investigation.
Rear Adm. Keith Davids, commander of the Naval Special Warfare Command, wrote in a statement that his "deepest sympathy extends to Seaman Mullen’s family and friends during this difficult time."
"Kyle’s death will not be in vain." Davids said. "We have a moral obligation to learn everything we can from Kyle’s tragic death so that we can ensure the safety of all future candidates."
Mullen, 24, died hours after successfully completing the notoriously grueling Hell Week in California Feb. 4, 2022. The Basic Underwater Demolition SEAL Candidate "was not actively training at the time of his death," the U.S. Navy confirmed in a press release at the time.
Mullen grew up in New Jersey and graduated from Manalapan High School, where he played football. He subsequently attended Monmouth University and then Yale University, where he continued the sport and was designated team captain. He left behind a brother in addition to his mother and other loved ones.
Yale Bulldogs defensive end Kyle Mullen (98) gestures to the crowd during a game against the Columbia Lions Oct. 28, 2017, at Yale Bowl in New Haven, Conn. (Williams Paul/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
After his death, Mullen's family released a statement, saying that while they were devastated by his untimely loss, "we could not be more proud."
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"Kyle dreamed of serving others and enlisted in the Navy with the hopes of joining the best of the best – the Navy SEALs. He would not settle for anything less," the statement added. "Kyle was exactly where he wanted to be in life when he was with his fellow seamen/warriors/classmates at Coronado. He took on every challenge, and failure was not an option as he strived toward reaching his goal of passing Hell Week and receiving his brown shirt."
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