Paratrooper found dead at Fort Bragg

A U.S. paratrooper of the 82nd Airborne Division stationed at Fort Bragg, N.C., was found dead in his military barracks, according to officials. 

Pfc. Mikel Rubino, 29, was found unresponsive on Friday night, officials said. Shortly after his body was found, the paramedics were called and they performed life-saving measures. 

Following attempts to revive Rubino, he was pronounced dead. 

An investigation has commenced as a result of the paratrooper’s death, according to the news outlet. However, officials provided no further information regarding cause of death at this time. 

The California native is survived by his wife, Alyssa, and young daughter. Rubino arrived at Fort Bragg this year after joining the Army in 2020. He was assigned as an infantryman to the 2nd Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, according to ABC. 

In a statement regarding Rubino’s passing, Col. Phillip J. Kiniery III, commander of the 2nd Brigade Combat, 82nd Airborne Divisions, called his death a “tragedy.”

“We mourn Mikel’s passing alongside his family. Our thoughts and prayers are with them all during this difficult time,” Kiniery said in a statement obtained by The Hill. 

The news comes as part of a string of deaths at military bases in the United States in the past few years, many of which have come from Fort Hood, Texas. Specifically, the death of Spc. Vanessa Guillén, 20, drew national attention after she went missing from the base and her body was later found dismembered. Her death came after she said that she had been sexually harassed. 

Sgt. Elder Fernandes, 23, was found hanging from a tree 28 miles outside of Fort Hood. His family attorney has said he was “humiliated” after reporting sexual abuse. 

In Fort Bragg alone, 44 soldiers died on or near the base in 2020 from both homicides and suicides.