SALT LAKE CITY — An Airman from Roy with the Utah Air National Guard died Tuesday after battling a medical issue while on a routine deployment to Guam, officials report.
Tech. Sgt. Burton Patrick Juengel was assigned to the 151st Air Refueling Wing and experienced an unexpected medical emergency on Friday, November 25.
Officials reported that he was taken to an emergency room at Guam Regional Medical Center, where doctors worked to diagnose and resolve his issue.
During his hospital stay, Juengel's condition worsened, officials explained, and he died four days later on November 29.
Juengel leaves behind a wife, a member of the Utah Air National Guard, and a daughter and an unborn child.
His wife, as well as his parents were able to visit Juengel in the hospital before he died, and officials called his passing a "devastating loss."
“This is a tremendous tragedy for all of us deployed on this mission,” said Lt. Col. Philip Schembri, unit commander for the deployment in a press release. “Tech Sgt. Juengel was an outstanding Airman and performed his job with enthusiasm and a positivity that motivated those around him.”
Further details about the medical emergency were not made available.
