SN/E-3 Kyle Mullen
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Hometown: Manalapan, NJ. Died: February 4, 2022 Age: 24 Unit: Naval Special Warfare Basic Training Command. Official update on timing for the wake and funeral for Kyle Mullen: The wake will be held this Thursday, February 24th, 3pm-7pm at Freeman Funeral Home, 344 Route 9 North Manalapan, NJ 07726. The funeral - a full military mass with a 21 gun salute - will be held this Friday, February 25th, at 10am at St. Thomas Moore, 186 Gordons Corner Rd, Manalapan Township, NJ 07726.
Kyle will be flown in on Tuesday and will arrive at 10:45pm at Newark Airport, and will then be driven to Freeman Funeral Home. www.facebook.com/RememberingKyleMullen Students at Manalapan High School observed a moment of silence Monday morning and other activities are planned by the school to honor alumni and Navy seaman Kyle Mullen, who died last Friday after SEAL training exercises in California.
Mullen also will be honored by his state after Gov. Phil Murphy ordered all flags in the state to be lowered in his honor. A date when that will happen wasn’t announced at the governors Monday press conference. “He represented the very best of the state and country,” Murphy said. “He was a legend in athletics and all walks of life.” Mullen was an honor student, a linebacker and tight end at Manalapan who led the Braves to a 2014 Central Jersey Group V state title, and was named team most valuable player. He caught a touchdown and had a sack in the 21-7 victory over South Brunswick. He went on to play football for Yale and Monmouth University before joining the Navy. Mullen will also be honored at the high school’s annual football banquet later this week, school officials said. The school is looking into having football players wear Mullen’s number 44 on their helmets next season and retiring his number, officials said in an email. Mullen, 24, of Manalapan, died Friday, February 4th, 2022 whilst involved in training. The cause of his death is still under investigation, the Navy said on Monday. Meanwhile, Mullen continued to be remembered in tributes. “We are all saddened by the unfortunate passing of Kyle Mullen. As a member of our 2019 championship team, he will be remembered not just as a excellent player, but also as an excellent person and a great teammate,” said Kevin Callahan, Monmouth University Head Coach on Facebook. “He was highly motivated on the field, but his maturity, intelligence, and concern for his fellow teammates is what stands out about Kyle,” Callahan said, expressing condolences to the Mullen family on behalf of the university. Mullen joined the military last year, and started active duty on March 29, 2021. Earlier on Friday, Mullen and his Basic Underwater Demolition SEAL (BUD/S) class successfully completed “Hell Week,” an assessment candidates must pass for further selection as a SEAL. “We are all heartbroken to hear of Kyle’s passing. Our thoughts and prayers go out to all of Kyle’s family and friends during this difficult time,” said Charles B. Sampson, Freehold Regional High School District superintendent, in a statement Sunday. Mullen began his Naval career with recruit training at the Great Lakes training command. From June to July 2021, he was in pre-Basic Underwater Demolition training at Great Lakes. He started Basic Training Command SEAL/SWCC on July 23, 2021, according to the Navy. During his short time with the navy, Mullen was awarded the National Defense Service Medal. He was a six-time letter winner in football and basketball season, according to his Yale biography. He also was on the Honor Roll and a member of the National Honor Society. Mullen also played forward on the Manalapan basketball team, scoring 266 points in his senior year, according to NJ.com sports stats. In 2015, he went on to Yale, where he played in seven games in his freshman year. In 2017, Mullen was named to the All Ivy League second-team, and in 2018 was named team captain, according to Yale. In 2019, he played a fifth-year season at Monmouth University, seeing action all season and finishing with 26 tackles and five sacks. 
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