Devon Jeffrey Faehnrich joined the Navy in 2021, right after leaving high school in Westminster, Colorado. The USS Montana was his first boat after finishing submarine school. An Electronics Technician 3rd Class, he was in the process of being promoted.
Monday, Faehnrich was found unresponsive by another member of the crew on the pier next to the boat. The Montana was docked at Huntington Ingalls Industries-Newport News Shipbuilding. The Naval Criminal Investigative Service is investigating. Grief counseling has been made available, said CDR Paul Macapagal, spokesman for Submarine Force Atlantic.
The USS Montana was commissioned in 2022. It was still undergoing shakedown testing ahead of its first deployment.
