REASONS UNCLEAR

Two Army Drill Sergeants Found Dead Eight Days Apart

Foul play is not suspected in at least one of the deaths as investigations into both continue.

Two army drill sergeants stationed at Fort Jackson, South Carolina were unexpectedly found dead just eight days apart. 30-year-old Staff Sgt. Zachary L. Melton from Alabama was found dead in his vehicle after serving at Fort Jackson for the last three years and serving in the army for a decade. His unit was on a break after completing their final basic training cycle on Thursday. The circumstances around Melton’s death are currently being investigated. Just eight days before Melton, 34-year-old Staff Sgt. Allen Burtram was found dead after serving the last 18 months in Fort Jackson and 12 years in the army. Foul play is not suspected in his death as investigations continue, army officials said. Fort Jackson is the army’s largest basic training center and a 2021 study found that 19% of drill sergeants there suffered from depression.