The Navy said last week 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 last week Tuesday.
The formal announcement
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.
His biography
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 Navy/Marine Corps Commendation Medal and two awards of the Navy/Marine Corps Achievement Medal.
Suicide data of The Pentagon
The Pentagon recently released its military-wide suicide data that showed that, despite a slight dip in the overall suicide figures across the defense department, the Navy still struggled to control the issue.
Last year, the service saw the highest total number of suicides — 71 — since 2019, when it had a record 74 suicides, the highest number in a decade.
According to the obituary, Volkle is survived by his wife Kaori Kato Volkle; his sons, Bruno and Nino; and his parents, Skip Volkle and Louise Volkle.
