According to a statement by officials with the 52nd Fighter Wing and obtained by Stars & Stripes, the two men were found unconscious in the room at around 6:30 p.m. on Thursday and were pronounced dead by emergency responders only 20 minutes later.
“It is with a heavy heart that I inform you of the passing of two [of] our airmen, who were found unresponsive in a dorm room yesterday,” the statement reads. “It is difficult to lose valued members of our team. On behalf of Spangdahlem, the leadership team would like to extend our sincerest and heartfelt condolences to the friends and families that have been affected by this tragedy.”
The airmen’s identities will not be released until at least 24 hours after their family members have been notified of their deaths, in accordance with US Defense Department policy.
The statement also notes that military chaplains, mental health professionals and the Airmen and Family Readiness Center and the Disaster Health Team are ready to support any other military members in the wake of the incident.
Last September, two airmen with the 52nd Civil Engineer Squadron, Bradley Reese Haile, 19, and Jacob Blackburn, 20, died in a car crash, although the cause behind the crash has still not been disclosed. A month later, 33-year-old Sgt. Tyler Mayfield, who was a former crew chief at Spangdahlem, also died in a car crash while driving to the Holloman Air Force Base in Otero County, New Mexico.
