August 12, 2022 (52 years old) View obituary. We want to hear it. The last time his father spoke to him was Thanksgiving. Pfc. His whole world was his children and his wife.. Four Fort Bragg soldiers died while deployed in 2019. All of that has a cumulative effect., A damaged soul plagued by mental torment, and also more thoughtful, more introverted than his Delta Force teammates, is how Nicole describes Lavigne. The 200 Greatest Singers of All Time Eric Christopher Hogan and Pfc. Posted 2023-04-21T13:30:09+00:00 - Updated 2023-04-21T23:20:10+00:00 Inside the Rash of Unexplained Deaths at Fort Hood | Vanity Fair Just a while ago the FBI went and dived in the area, and didnt find anything. In the iconography of American militarism, in the esoteric cult of special forces, the black censor bar across the eyes confers an unmistakably dark prestige. He once saw him using LSD at a barracks party, he says. The 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time, No narcotics were reported recovered, but for the Joint Special Operations Command, or JSOC, which is headquartered at Fort Bragg, it had all the makings of yet another drug scandal, the latest in a string of them to hit the special-operations community. A 24-year-old military mechanic died Wednesday at Fort Bragg during a traffic accident at Fort Bragg, officials announced Friday. On February 2nd, the Charlotte field office put out a bulletin seeking assistance from the public to establish a timeline of the two mens movements up until their deaths. On May 9, 2018, roughly three months after Becky Kunzes death, Sarah Hartsfield fatally shot her onetime fianc in the large home they had moved to from Texas months before. Such a pigheaded, egotistical man was the first impression he made on his wife, Laura, a 39-year-old paralegal from Hawaii whose dad was a Marine. Weve been looking for him all day. Taking part in and witnessing violence, being away from home for long periods of time, and disillusionment with the mission can put special operators at heightened risk, Donati says, of divorce, alcoholism, substance abuse, and anger issues. His home burned. The 200 Greatest Singers of All Time Born in New York City on April 27, 1985, Boyd enlisted in the Army from Tampa, Florida, in 2004 as a psychological operations specialist. Joseph Zygarowski who died during a training exercise at Fort Bragg on April 19. A memorial service today at Fort Bragg makes 25 years since the 82nd Airborne Division suffered its biggest one-day loss of life since World War II. And I said, Well, no, because its not legal, says Mabey. He saw people die. Me and my mom being Catholic, it was difficult to understand., Fort Bragg was on quarantine and soldiers forbidden from traveling far from base, but seven paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division snuck off for a Memorial Day weekend camping trip at Cape Lookout National Seashore, a barrier island on the gray coast of the Carolinas. The DA, Billy West, did not respond to requests for comment but told the Fayetteville Observer that two other people whod been at Lavignes house took responsibility for the drugs. I kill people for a living., After his dozen-plus deployments, Lavigne was no less haunted by moral injury. When he came home, notably, you could see a droopiness in his eye, she tells me. At least 44 Fort Bragg soldiers died stateside in 2020 several of them were homicides. He fell in love with what he was doing and decided he was going to make a career out of it, says his dad, who still lives in the remote Upper Peninsula of Michigan where Billy grew up skateboarding and riding motocross. The 50 Worst Decisions in Music History Other operators that were there. Lavigne was transported downtown, but did not remain long in the police station. Nor would the base discuss the perplexing incidence of young men turning up unresponsive in their bunks, such as 19-year-old Caleb Smither, whose body was so decomposed when they found him that he couldnt have an open-casket funeral. Staff Sgt. Just not very well. In July 2018, around the time he and his dad had to flee from that Independence Day fireworks show, he called Mabey to beg her forgiveness for killing her son. David Bragg. His use of alcohol was of even greater concern. It far surpassed Fort Hood, where 28 soldier deaths in 2020 led to a congressional investigation, a sweeping indictment of the installations toxic culture, and the dismissal of most of the chain of command. Villalon was captain of the physical fitness team and a member of the drill team in the Navy Junior ROTC program, said Allen, who was a teacher in the program for 18 years. Leshikar opened the hood of the car, a Honda Accord, and with the engine still hot, began to disassemble it. Just because it was dismissed doesnt mean it didnt happen, says Ballard, who believes that military personnel are given special treatment within the criminal-justice system in the counties around Fort Bragg. After completing basic combat training and advanced individual training in 2019 at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, he was assigned to the 307th Airborne Engineer Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, where he served as a combat engineer. Absolutely. He was two years younger than Lavigne and had recently completed Special Forces selection, a rugged, punishing Fort Bragg program known as the Q-course. Sgt. Daddy was mad at Uncle Billy for locking the door, Leshikars daughter told her mother and grandmother. Macho as Leshikar might have been, when his little girl told him that he had to wear a dress to attend her tea party, he didnt argue. Finally, one womans face lights up. Lt. Col. Val Moro, commander of 1st Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, said those who served with Mount will mourn his loss. Joseph Zygarowski who died during a training exercise at Fort Bragg on April 19. WebThey are: Master Sgt. Jean Cruz De Leon , 20, of Marrero, Louisiana, was killed in a Sept. 9 training accident when his parachute Sgt. And I looked at Daddy and it was like he was dancing. The 50 Worst Decisions in Music History Aside from suicide, overdose and complications from drug abuse including steroids was the leading cause of death. He was arrested for a final time on September 17th, in Fayetteville, this time on a prostitution charge. As the madness of 2020 settled over the country, bringing with it a nationwide wave of drug abuse and violent crime, Lavigne was also spinning out of control. The cause of death is listed as homicide and the case is being investigated by the Army Criminal Investigation Command. Command Sgt. He was deployed to Saudi Arabia when he read on Facebook that Roman-Martinez, whom hed known since middle school, had gone missing. July 17, 2021 (83 years old) View obituary. He confessed that he had once killed a child soldier. Dumas and his dreadlocked sidekick went into the apartment across the corridor, and she went into hers. A memorial service today at Fort Bragg makes 25 years since the 82nd Airborne Division suffered its biggest one-day loss of life since World War II.The He was looking to be helpful and to be part of the team.. That broke me, Romero says. Dec. 7, 2020. That number is significantly more than at any other U.S. military base, despite Fort Hood and Fort Bliss having had freakishly violent years of their own. George Allen taught Villalon at East Aurora High School. Its a lot of TBI, or traumatic brain injury. He was getting into all kinds of legal trouble, says Tammy Mabey, Leshikars mother, hanging out with bad people, deep into drugs, and nobody said or did anything. At bars like ODonnells Pub in Southern Pines, they are easily identified by their signature off-duty style, which incorporates elements of biker culture, and is characterized by beards, tattoos, muscles, sun-faded baseball caps with tattered brims, and concealed handguns. I could never take anything serious.. They were joined by Lavigne, the girls godfather, whom she called Uncle Billy, and his daughter, who was like a younger cousin to her. Were still looking into it.. In recent years, whistleblowers have alleged that the use of hard drugs is widespread among special operators. He was strung out and weeping over Leshikar. He kind of represented himself as an SF operator, she says, though he was just a logistics guy. One evening in October 2013, Dumas came over to fix an electrical outlet, and Ballard had the distinct impression that he was hitting on her: He was trying to pry about where my husband was. She told him they were separated at the moment. Paul Allan Hartman. Billy joined Special Forces in 2006, became a Green Beret, and over the next decade averaged about one deployment a year. We have a lot of Delta Force members in our community, says Ballard, the police detective in Vass. He was seeing bad things.. Rachael Riley. They have a different society, Lavigne would respond, in Nicoles recollection, and while I dont agree with it, we shouldnt be doing what were doing over there. . 0:44. According to Dumas wife, the nightclub doesnt exist anymore. Its a horrible photo, Nicole says, like hes already dead. In real life, she says, he was more handsome: tall and bald, with a neatly trimmed beard. Lewis followed her outside, holding their three-year-old daughter on one hip and a gun in the other hand. Mount is survived by his wife and parents. He left the military in 2016, and for a time operated a nightclub in Fayetteville, which evidently brought him legal troubles. Rolling Stone is a part of Penske Media Corporation. She sent him a text message and agreed to hear him out on condition they meet at Leshikars grave site. Sgt. Joshua Diamond, 35, of Plymouth, Mass. I have to prove that he was not in his right mind, she says. Lavigne, who was divorced and had a succession of girlfriends, loved being a dad, Nicole says. He served as an Army sergeant for almost seven years and was deployed three times with one combat tour in Iraq. Editors Note: This report is limited to the latest information obtained by SOFREP about the death of MSG Lavigne and Timothy Dumas. Pfc. McLaughlin and Villalon were soldiers who were part of the B Company, 307th Airborne Engineer Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division. Master Sgt. 3 Sarah Lewis, 34, was allegedly shot dead by her husband Staff Sgt Keith Lewis Credit: Facebook 3 Grace Community Church had just opened a last-minute temporary shelter for the homeless the previous night. Appropriate adverse action, which was previously initiated in response to substantiated misconduct, was being finalized at the time of Master Sgt. More generally, how many active duty service members had traces of misused prescription medication or illicit drugs in their system at the time of death? Estella called the Fayetteville police, who filed an incident report. But neither JSOC nor USASOC responded to repeated requests for comment. Jean Cruz De Leon,20, of Marrero, Louisiana, was killed in a Sept. 9 training accident when his parachute malfunctioned, according to a statement released by the 82nd Airborne Division. MILITARY. July 10, 2022 (65 years old) View obituary. Army vet Timothy Dumas, 44, was found shot and killed alongside Lavigne. There were two people that my brother insisted that I meet, she says, and Billy was one of them., Nicole, a spiritual life coach and Reiki energy teacher, says Lavigne was different from the other off-duty operators her brother hung around. He was just a boy, she quotes him as saying. He finally put the gun down. In the aftermath, Lynda says, There were no real repercussions.. Terrance Salazar, 24, of Pleasanton, Texas, was found unresponsive in his room Nov. 11 and could not be revived, a spokesman for the 82nd Airborne Division said. They might have spent a hundred days where they did 40 raids, and in 15 of the raids they were within 10 yards of a breach explosion. Im a monster. He tells me I should go smoke in the back because theres going to be a shooting.. Army investigators have disclosed nothing, not even the identities of the other soldiers who were on the camping trip, one of whom was a young woman. CBS News national security correspondent David Martin reports. Roman-Martinez had done multiple parachute jumps in the course of his training, but he was an HR specialist, a guy whose job it was to maintain personnel records. MILITARY. But he scared me., a copy of which was first obtained by Jack Murphy of. The Army said two soldiers stationed at Fort Bragg died Monday in unrelated deaths that shook the community at the North Carolina base. Its real strange, says Bill Lavigne Sr., father of the slain Delta Force soldier, that something like this can go on at Fort Bragg, and nobody seems to know nothing. A warrant for his arrest was issued, and this time, for whatever reason, the charge was not dropped. Nathan Goodman, 36, of Hope Mills, died Jan. 14, 2020, in a free-fall training exercise near Eloy, Arizona. Then 9/11 happened, touching off the longest period of war in U.S. history. Smither enlisted in the Army in May 2019 and was stationed at Fort Bragg in December 2019. Click the "subscribe'' link at the top of this article. People who knew him tell me that in life, he fit a certain kind of American archetype: the wannabe special-forces guy, a fake operator who, in order to impress people or intimidate them, passed himself off as an ex-commando. Enrique Roman-Martinez, 21, of Chino, California, was last seen May 22 while camping with fellow soldiers near Mile Marker 46 on South Core Banks. Leshikars killing was ruled a justifiable homicide, but Swain declines to say on what grounds investigators came to that conclusion. We were trying to find the park ranger or their offices, or anything.. The recent reports of fatal drug overdoses out of military installations like Fort Bragg are alarming, Sen. Markey said in a statement to Rolling Stone. She used to rent a house from him in Carthage, another little town on the periphery of Fort Bragg. In 2015, former SEAL James Matthews got pulled over in New Jersey towing a trailer loaded with $1.4 million worth of marijuana. Both had been killed by gunshots, and according to news reports, shell casings were scattered on the ground. Those two would always pull some shit, she says. But she was acquainted with Timothy Dumas, the 44-year-old veteran who was found dead alongside him. Zygarowski, who enlisted in the Army in 2018, was a mechanic assigned to These are highlights of a significantly lengthier list. The man in the bed of the truck, by contrast, didnt have to inflate his military credentials. Hughes was an unmanned aerial vehicle operator assigned to the A Troop, 1st Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division. In 2018, former senior special-forces sergeants Daniel Gould and Henry Royer were busted trying to import punching bags that had been gutted and packed with cocaine from Colombia. Fort Bragg is the largest military base in the U.S. and the command post for the Armys most elite units, such as Delta Force and the Green Berets, which have borne a disproportionate burden of Americas never-ending wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, undergoing not just combat trauma and moral injury but a lot of traumatic brain injuries as well. Leave a sympathy message to the family on the memorial page of Carol Ann Brown to pay them a last tribute. Pvt. Cruz De Leon was an infantryman assigned to the divisions Company A, 1st Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team. We were always poor growing up, his sister Griselda says. In this one, he is sitting in what looks to be a restaurant booth, dressed in a gray vest and a purple dress shirt. Two months later, someone nearly died of a heroin overdose at Lavignes house. Sgt. Mount joined the Army in January 2016 and came to Fort Bragg in June 2016. Here are some of the tragic deaths that have plagued the base in recent months: Pvt. He changed dramatically in a short period of time, says his father, who came from Michigan to stay with him after the shooting. His longtime partner died. Hes one of those guys whos into nature. Fort Bragg cannot explain why dozens of soldiers are dying in their own bunks. On a half dozen occasions since 2014, a Navy SEAL or a Green Beret has pleaded guilty to heavy-duty narcotics charges. Its not just combat trauma and moral injury, says Naylor. He had migraines, nightmares, personality changes., She still has his body in cold storage, in a freezer in Alaska, because the Army wont turn over his autopsy report or medical file, and she doesnt want to lose evidence that his brain was damaged from TBI or that he was medicated for PTSD. Ive seen it. You would not believe how many people I have reached out to. Lavignes death., Pentagon Finally Stops Hiding Military Overdose Epidemic, Senators Press Pentagon for Answers on Rash of Overdose Deaths, These Kids Are Dying Inside the Overdose Crisis Sweeping Fort Bragg. Three unnamed Navy SEALs told CBS in 2017 that various teammates of theirs had tested positive for cocaine, methamphetamine, MDMA, and heroin, and that the substance-abuse problem was growing. In 2014, a Navy SEAL named Angel Martinez-Ramos pleaded guilty after being arrested at Miamis airport with 10 kilos of cocaine in his carry-on. That he would take care of him permanently.
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