The Navy said Tuesday that Cmdr. Jonathan Volkle, the executive officer of the littoral combat ship USS Marinette, was found dead from an apparent suicide aboard the ship on Oct. 27.
Volkle, 44, was found unresponsive and later pronounced deceased, Lt. Cmdr. David Carter told Military.com in an email Tuesday. The Navy never formally announced the death but a publicly posted obituary revealed the officer was found by crew aboard USS Marinette while she was docked in Cleveland.
Carter said that the incident is currently under investigation, but a Navy official confirmed to Military.com that the death is being treated as a suicide.
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USNI News was the first to report the death and the suspicion of suicide.
According to records provided by the Navy, Volkle joined the Navy in 2007 and served on the frigate USS Kauffman as well as the destroyers USS John McCain and USS Fitzgerald. In 2017, he moved to Japan where he held posts in Sasebo and on the mine countermeasure ship USS Patriot.
Volkle reported to the USS Marinette in September 2022, and it was commissioned a year later. The ship was then set to make its way to its homeport of Mayport, Florida, but ended up getting stuck in the Great Lakes due to the St. Lawrence Seaway workers strike.
Volkle’s awards include the Meritorious Service Medal, three awards of the…
