A soldier in the New Jersey Army National Guard died Saturday after testing positive for COVID-19, the Pentagon announced Monday.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy identified him as Capt. Douglas Linn Hickock. He had been hospitalized since March 21 and is the first U.S. military member to succumb to the coronavirus, Pentagon officials said.

“This is a stinging loss for our military community and our condolences go out to his family, friends, civilian co-workers and the entire National Guard community,” Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said in a statement released by the Pentagon.

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