SAN DIEGO _ San Diego-based Chief Petty Officer Charles Thacker was identified Thursday as the Theodore Roosevelt sailor who died of complications from COVID-19.
Thacker, 41, leaves behind a wife, who also serves in the Navy in San Diego. She flew to Guam and was by his side when he died, the Navy said.
Thacker was the first sailor and first active-duty service member to die of the novel coronavirus.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with the family during this difficult time," said Capt. Carlos Sardiello, Theodore Roosevelt's commanding officer, in a statement.
"Our No. 1 priority continues to be the health and well-being of all members of the Theodore Roosevelt Strike Group and we remain steadfast in our resolve against the spread of this virus."
Thacker tested positive for coronavirus on March 30 and was taken off the ship and placed in "isolation housing" at Naval Base Guam. On the morning of April 9 he was found unresponsive during a medical check and was moved to a local hospital's intensive care unit.
The Roosevelt, which left San Diego in January for a routine deployment, was sidelined in March after several sailors on board tested positive for COVID-19. It pulled into Guam, where sailors have been moving off the ship in an effort to get the virus under control.
On Thursday, the Navy said 655 crew members have tested positive for the novel coronavirus. Six are in the hospital; one in the intensive care unit.
More than 4,000 sailors, most of whom tested negative, have moved ashore on Guam.
There are 983 sailors Navy-wide who have tested positive for the virus; 134 recovered and 13 are currently hospitalized, the Navy said Monday.
The outbreak on the Roosevelt has been a leading indicator of the military's challenge in confronting the virus. Although more than 650 Roosevelt sailors have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, a little more than 200 are symptomatic _ a fact Rear Adm. Bruce Gillingham, the Navy's surgeon general, called the virus' "secret power," during a Pentagon news briefing this week.
Thacker was from Fort Smith, Ark., and enlisted in the Navy in 1997. He spent most of his career in San Diego, according to the Navy. He served on four Navy aircraft carriers during his career, including the Constellation, the Ronald Reagan, the George Washington and two stints on the Theodore Roosevelt.
His awards include two Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals.
