Mikel Rubino, 29, a 82nd Airborne Division Earlier in the day, park rangers had approached the group to ask them to move their vehicles, which were encroaching on protected sand dunes. The 50 Worst Decisions in Music History He joined the 3rd Special Forces Groups support battalion in March 2020. (U.S. Army). Jimmy was a tremendous teammate and paratrooper, said Col. John D. Bishop, commander of the 3rd Special Forces Group of the 1st Special Forces Command (Airborne). He was an outstanding culinary specialist and an absolute asset to 3rd Group. This is according to what Romero says he heard from soldiers who were on the camping trip. By Only 11 of All Rights Reserved. if(document.querySelector("#adunit")){ 2023 Rolling Stone, LLC. Forty-one Fort Bragg soldiers took their own lives in 2020 and 2021, making suicide the leading cause of death. The 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time. He had been missing for almost a full week.. When we woke up he was not here, and weve been looking for him all day. According to a statement from the U.S. Army Special Operations Command Public Affairs Office, the soldier, assigned to the command, was rushed toWomack Army Medical Center where he was pronounced dead, the statement said. hitType: 'event', from around the world. Among the soldiers many awards and decorations are the Bronze Star Medal with V device; Bronze Star Medal (second award); Meritorious Service Medal; Joint Service Commendation Medal; Army Commendation Medal (second award); Army Achievement Medal (third award); and Joint Service Achievement Medal. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. William J. Lavigne II, 37, a Green Beret, and Timothy Dumas, 44, an Army veteran who once served at Fort Bragg. All rights reserved. He was a hippie, Griselda says, into nature and spirituality, a strong believer in womens rights, staunchly supportive of his female friends. ga('ads.send', { Michael was a dedicated Paratrooper, passionate leader, and a loyal friend, Lt. Col. Todd Sunday, commander of Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion, 82nd Airborne Division, said in the statement. WILMINGTON, N.C. (WTVD) -- A Fort Bragg soldier pleaded guilty on Tuesday to possessing an unregistered short-barrel rifle. All rights reserved. Rubino leaves behind his wife Alyssa, their daughter Legacy, and his mother, Sheila. Fort Bragg soldier found dead in barracks; mother questions death There was no way he wanted to end his life. Spc. The men were found dead around 3:30 p.m. Dec. 2 in a wooded training area of Fort Bragg, near Manchester Road, the newspaper reported. Authorities on Wednesday said they are investigating the death of a Fort Bragg soldier who was found shot on Sunday in his Sanford home. Thats why he walked away in the middle of the night.. }); It has not been found. "We mourn Mikel's passing alongside his family. No further details on the circumstances of Rubino's death were provided by military officials. But in no fewer than 33 cases, the Army has classified the cause of death as undetermined.. Our condolences go out to his family during this difficult time.. Likewise, in January 2021, an Army captain named Robert Latham died from an apparent heart attack, despite being 32 years old and seemingly in excellent physical condition. A 21-year-old Fort Bragg soilder found dead on North Carolina s Outer Banks in May had been decapitated, according to an autopsy report. The FGC-9 rifle found was submitted to the ATF Firearms Laboratory, which confirmed that it was a short barrel rifle violating the National Firearms Act (NFA). More than 30 soldiers assigned to the base have died this year, about half by suicide. Correction: Officials earlier incorrectly reported Rubinos age as 21. Fort Bragg hasnt announced any fatalities since then. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), Mr. The Army has given few details about the circumstance of their deaths but has said they were not related to official training. They explained that they searched Anthonys car and found a Glock Like 9mm ghost gun with no serial number in the center council. eventAction: 'load' Anthony later admitted that he didnt have any paperwork for the gun. There are no obvious suspects. WILMINGTON, N.C. (WBTW) A Fort Bragg soldier wanted remove racial minorities from several North Carolina counties, including Scotland and Robeson counties, according to a news release from the U.S. Department of Justice. Web15 likes, 3 comments - WNCT (@wnct9) on Instagram: "An autopsy has found a Fort Bragg soldier found dead this summer on North Carolinas Crystal Co" WNCT on Instagram: In another, a heavily pregnant Army wife named Sarah Lewis was brutally murdered by her steroid-enraged husband, a medic in the 1st Special Forces Command, who then died by suicide. The loss of Mikel to his family, friends, and fellow paratroopers is a tragedy, Col. Phillip J. Kiniery III, commander 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, said in the news release. 734. He had too many plans., Editors picks This spring, Le Creuset has introduced an exciting new shade thats already selling fast: shallot, a soft lavender with pink and slight gray undertones. A representative of the Taliban said the group was checking on Ghani's whereabouts. FORT BRAGG A senior enlisted paratrooper was found dead Monday at his home on Fort Bragg, according to a statement Tuesday from the 82nd Airborne He had recently returned from the divisions support to Operation Allies Refuge in Afghanistan. Foul play is suspected and they may have been involved in criminal activity at the time of their deaths, unnamed military officials told some news outlets. Fort Bragg identified Dumas in a separate statement. A SPECIAL Forces soldier who was found dead next to an Army vet at Fort Bragg "killed a Green Beret in front of his five-year-old daughter in 2018," the victim's The incident is under investigation, officials said. But some elements of the account of his disappearance given by the seven soldiers who last saw him alive dont add up. No arrests have been made nearly five months after a Special Forces soldier and veteran were found dead Dec. 2, at Fort Bragg, an official said last week. ga('ads.send', { He earned numerous awards and decorations during his service, including a Bronze Star Medal, Joint Service Commendation Medal, four Army Commendation Medals, a parachutist badge and a driver and mechanic badge. Pfc. window.googletag.pubads().addEventListener('slotOnload', function(event) { A 24-year-old Army cook assigned to the 3rd Special Forces Group at Fort Bragg was found dead from a gunshot wound Wednesday in a town about 20 miles from the North Carolina base, according to Army officials and local police. In June, two paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division were found dead in their barracks in what Army officials said they suspected were drug overdoses. Spc. Rubino was found unresponsive in his barracks room on Fort Bragg. William J. Lavigne II, 37, with U.S. Army Special Operations Command's Headquarters and Headquarters Company, and Timothy Dumas, 44, an Army veteran from Pinehurst, N.C., were found Wednesday in a training area on Fort Bragg, near Fayetteville. 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A soldier pronounced dead at the hospital after being found unresponsive in a parked vehicle on Fort Bragg on Friday was identified as Maj. Eric "Adam" The incident remains under investigation by the Criminal Investigation Department. Jimmy was more than just an NCO, he was a mentor, a shoulder to cry on, a comedian at times, but most of all a great friend, Spc. A Fort Bragg soldiers alleged plot to "physically remove" racial minorities from eastern North Carolina was uncovered by military officials. ", When will Taemin return from military service? Smiths awards and decorations include the Army Commendation Medal with four oak leaf clusters; the Army Achievement Medal with four oak leaf clusters; the Army Good Conduct Medal with one oak leaf cluster; the National Defense Service Medal; the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; the Global War on Terror Expeditionary Medal; the Army Service Ribbon; the Korea Defense Service Medal; the Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon; the Overseas Service Ribbon; and the Army Parachutist Badge. A 29-year old paratrooper was found dead in his barracks at Fort Bragg in North Carolina, military officials said. garland.chad@stripes.com Twitter: @chadgarland. Christian Romero, a high school friend of Roman-Martinez who joined the Army around the same time and also had been stationed at Fort Bragg, says he cant understand why Becerra planned a camping trip at a time when the weather was so foul. He served as an infantryman assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team. Specialist Joshua Diamond of Plymouth, Massachusetts, and Private First Class Matthew Disney of Aberdeen, Maryland, both served with the 82nd Airborne Division. At least 44 Fort Bragg soldiers died stateside in 2020 several of them were homicides. Families want answers. But the Army isnt giving any Three weeks before Christmas, in the piney woods outside of Fort Bragg, North Carolina, a deer hunter came across the fallout from a firefight that, to date, no one has been able to explain. He dedicated his life to serving his country and did so with great distinction. This spring, Le Creuset has introduced an exciting new shade thats already selling fast: shallot, a soft lavender with pink and slight gray undertones. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service. The incident is being investigated by the His awards and decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal, four Army Commendation Medals, seven Army Achievement Medals, two Navy Achievement Medals, four Army Good Conduct Medals, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal with one Campaign Star, Iraq Campaign Medal with two Campaign Stars, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Korea Defense Service Medal, two NCO Professional Development Ribbons, Army Service Ribbon, four Overseas Service Ribbons, NATO Medal, Combat Action Badge, and the Army Parachutist Badge. Rubino was found unresponsive in his barracks room on Fort Bragg. A day after the bodies were found, an unnamed Army official leaked to CBS that both Lavigne and Dumas, at the time of their deaths, were under investigation for trafficking narcotics on Fort Bragg, and that investigators suspected a double homicide from a drug deal gone wrong. window.googletag.pubads().addEventListener('impressionViewable', function(event) { | Though he was airborne-qualified, he was a noncombat support soldier, an HR specialist, who sat in front of a computer all day. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), On the afternoon of Jan. 21, 2020, Pvt. Drugs may have been involved in the cases of Diamond and Disney, who were found dead on the same day in June 2021, just two weeks after an airborne master sergeant named Martin Acevedo III was charged with trafficking cocaine. pg.acq.push(function() { Both soldiers served as field artillery firefinder radar operators and were assigned to 2nd Battalion, 319th Airborne Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team. According to Collier, whos had multiple briefings with the CID task force investigating the case, one of the seven campers entered Roman-Martinezs room before it was locked down. Not long after that, a parachute rigger in the 7th Special Forces Group named Tiara Vinson allegedly walked up to Kelia Horton, her rival for the affections of a third soldier, and shot her in the face. Joshua Diamond, 35, of Plymouth, Massachusetts, and Pfc. Pfc. CID did not respond to a request for comment Friday, but an unnamed defense official told ABC News that foul play was suspected. Over this same 18-month period, just three Fort Bragg soldiers died in overseas combat, meaning these elite troops are a dizzying 27 times more likely to die stateside than in war zones such as Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria. let gads_event; FORT BRAGG, N.C. (WNCN) A Fort Bragg soldier was found dead in a barracks room Friday, officials say. Noah Edwin Anthony, 23, was a member of the 1st Special Forces Command. Rubino leaves behind his wife Alyssa, their daughter Legacy, and his mother, Sheila. Theyre still happening, but the base has gone dark. Back in January 2022, Seth wrote about this for Rolling Stone. } In May, Fort Bragg Sgt. Megan Touma, a 23-year-old Fort Bragg soldier found dead in a motel bathtub in Fayetteville, N.C., more than a month ago. When Leshikar came into the home, he and Lavigne had a confrontation that ended with the shooting. Rubino joined the Army in 2020 and arrived at Fort Bragg this year. During his time, he served as an infantryman assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team. Her awards include a 2021 Society of Professional Journalists Washington Dateline Award and an Honorable Mention from the Military Reporters and Editors Association for her coverage of crime at Fort Hood. The president's office told reporters, however, it "cannot say anything about Ashraf Ghani's movement for security reasons". An incident report on the sheriffs website lists it as a justifiable homicide, but in response to an email seeking further details, Swainn offered little more information and directed Stars and Stripes to a statement the sheriff issued the day after the shooting, which said no charges had been filed. }); Rubino of Oroville, California, is survived by his wife, Alyssa, and young daughter, according to military officials. Private First Class Mikel Rubino, of Oroville, WILMINGTON, S.C. (FOX Carolina) - The U.S. Attorneys Office from the Eastern District of North Carolina announced that a Fort Bragg soldier, who recently pleaded guilty to a weapon charge, allegedly had an operation to remove certain minority groups from Eastern North Carolina. Lavigne told Rick that her brother had a screwdriver, she said, but she claimed nothing was found at the scene and no real investigation was ever held.. 1st Class Michael B. Hamilton, 35, of Plano, Texas, was pronounced dead by emergency medical services after he was found unresponsive, officials said. As per reports, Rubinos awards and decorations included the National Defense Service Medal, a decoration presented to recognize all military members who have served in active duty during a declared "national emergency"; the Army Service Ribbon, which is awarded to enlisted personnel after the successful completion of their initial-entry training and Officers after the completion of basic/orientation or higher level course; and the Army Parachutist Badge, which is awarded to soldiers who have previously earned the Basic Parachutist Badge and simultaneously complete one airborne jump into a combat zone.