A Kentucky-based senior noncommissioned officer is the eighth service member to die of COVID-19 complications, the Army Reserve confirmed Tuesday.

Sgt. 1st Class Mike A. Markins, 48, died Thursday, spokesman Lt. Col. Simon Flake told Military Times.

“He served honorably in the U.S. military for 27 years, serving in the Air Force on active duty from 1990 to 1997 and the Army Reserve from 2000 to until the time of his death,“ Flake said.

Markins also worked full-time as a technician for the Army Reserve, he added, at Fort Knox, Kentucky.

His awards included two Meritorious Service Medals, two Army Commendation Medals, two Army Achievement Medals, the Air Force Achievement Medal, Air Force Good Conduct Medal and the Air Force Longevity Service Award.

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The Army, which has twice as many personnel as the next largest service, has been by far the hardest hit service in terms of cases and deaths. Five reservists and two Guardsmen have died.

In April, a chief assigned to the aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt became the only active-duty service member to die from the virus.

The military’s coronavirus mortality rate has hovered around 0.0001 percent, negligible when compared to the nationwide rate of 3 percent. As of Monday, 45, 246 troops have tested positive for COVID-19. Of those, 30,450 have recovered and 613, or just over 1 percent, have been hospitalized.

Meghann Myers is the Pentagon bureau chief at Military Times. She covers operations, policy, personnel, leadership and other issues affecting service members.

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