U.S. and German authorities are investigating the death of U.S. Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Dmitry Chepusov. The 31-year-old, who worked as a broadcaster for American Forces Network-Europe, was found dead Dec. 14 in Kaiserslautern, Germany.
According to a news release from U.S. European Command, Chepusov, a native of Edgewater, N.J., was found unresponsive in a privately-owned vehicle...
... and subsequently pronounced dead by German medical authorities called to the scene by German law enforcement officials.
Lt. Col. Sherri Reed, commander of AFN-Europe, said of Chepusov's passing:
“We are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of one of our own. Dmitry was a true shipmate, always watching out for his fellow servicemembers. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends during this difficult time.”
Sean M. Patrick, Broadcast Manager at AFN-Europe, wrote on Chepusov's Facebook page:
"I met Dmitry on my last visit to HQ. He was great at his job, but also friendly, down-to-earth, genuine - rare traits these days (sadly). Very sorry to hear it, sincere condolences to his family."
A private memorial service is planned for Thursday at Ramstein Air Base, according to the U.S. European Command news release.
Here is a sample of Chepusov's work I found posted on YouTube:
Dmitry Chepusov
