Airman killed in parachute jump loved his country and his job

Airman who died in parachuting accident ‘loved his country and his job,’ family says

STARS AND STRIPES
By CHAD GARLAND
Published: September 16, 2019

Staff Sgt. Adam K. Erickson, 29, was killed on Sept. 10 during a training accident on a routine military proficiency jump, Edwards Air Force Base said in a release last week.

An airman killed in a parachuting accident last week was an enlisted leader of the Air Force’s parachute-testing team and a combat veteran who had deployed to the Middle East in support of personnel recovery efforts.

Air Force Staff Sgt. Adam Erickson was killed during a military training parachute operation in Perris, California, Sept. 10, 2019. GOFUNDME

Staff Sgt. Adam K. Erickson, 29, was killed on Sept. 10 during a training accident on a routine military proficiency jump, Edwards Air Force Base said in a release last week.

He was assigned to the California base’s 412th Test Wing and had served with the Joint Personnel Recovery Center in Qatar in 2016. More recently, he had served earlier this year as a jumpmaster and operations liaison in Romania, where the Air Force is deployed as part of the mission to deter Russian aggression in Europe.

At Edwards, Erickson was the noncommissioned officer in charge of test parachutist program operations, the base said on its Facebook page, sharing a GoFundMe campaign started by the airman’s sister.
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Two Golden Knights still in critical condition

Two Golden Knights still hospitalized after Army parachuting accident

Army Times
Meghann Myers
February 15, 2019

Two members of the U.S. Army Parachute Team remain in critical condition after a training accident early Tuesday morning that sent three to a Miami hospital.

A member of the Golden Knights lands during a demonstration jump at the African Aerospace and Defence Exposition at Waterkloof Air Force Base, Pretoria, South Africa on Sept. 18, 2014. (Staff Sgt. Patricia Austin/Army)

One of the three has since been released from Jackson Memorial hospital, Army Recruiting Command spokeswoman Kelli Bland told Army Times on Friday.

That soldier was upgraded to fair condition on Thursday before being released, she said.
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Fort Bragg Soldier died in training accident a month ago?

Soldier in secret unit dies in training accident
Yahoo News
SEAN D. NAYLOR
Aug 3rd 2018

WASHINGTON — A highly decorated soldier from the Army’s elite Delta Force died last month after a free-fall parachute training accident the military did not make public.

Master Sgt. Christopher Nelms, United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), finishes a low craw under the “Worm Pit” at the Malvesti Obstacle Course in the Best Ranger Competition, April 13 at US Army Fort Benning. Photo by Patrick A. Albright.

Sgt. Maj. Christopher Nelms, 46, died July 1 from injuries sustained when his parachute failed to fully open during a June 27 jump at Laurinburg-Maxton Airport, N.C., about 40 miles southwest of Delta’s home post of Fort Bragg, N.C. “He was fighting it the whole way down,” said a former Delta Force officer familiar with the accident.

U.S. Army Special Operations Command, which exercises administrative control of Delta Force, did not announce Nelms’s death, but confirmed it when contacted by Yahoo News. “One service member died as a result of a free-fall training incident on June 27, 2018, in Laurinburg, N.C.,” said Lt. Col. Robert Bockholt, the command spokesman, in an email response to questions from Yahoo News. Nelms “received initial medical treatment for his injuries but unfortunately died at the hospital.”
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Is Navy Trying to Blame Navy SEAL's Death on Certification?

What is this story really all about? How does Marston's certification question change the fact he was unconscious as this investigation found?

Navy SEAL Who Died in Parachute Incident Was Unconscious
Associated Press
Jan 25, 2016

Marston lived in Virginia Beach and was a member of SEAL Team 6. He died during the accident on Jan. 10, 2015, in Deland, Florida.

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. -- An investigation has concluded that a Navy SEAL who died in a parachute training accident in Florida last year became unconscious after exiting the plane.

The investigation also found that Petty Officer 1st Class William Blake Marston was unable to open his main chute, The Virginian-Pilot reported. It also determined that Marston shouldn't have been on the plane to begin with because of a discrepancy over whether he was up to date with a required certification.
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Joint Base Lewis-McChord Died After Parachute Accident

JBLM paratrooper dies during training exercise
KING 5 News
Alex Rozier
September 12, 2015

A soldier who went missing after a parachute jump in Mason County was found dead Friday night.

The jump happened during a training exercise that began around noon on Friday. After a search of the area, the body was found at approximately 10 p.m. that day.

The soldier was part of the 1st Special Forces Group based at Joint Base Lewis-McChord. The unit was training over a wooded area in Mason County.

The soldier's name has not yet been released.
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Linked from USAToday

Two Airmen Killed During Training in Florida

2 Airmen Killed During Parachute Training in Florida 
Military.com
Associated Press
Aug 05, 2015


EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- Air Force officials have released the names of two special forces airmen killed in a parachute training accident in the Florida Panhandle.

The Air Force said Tuesday that Sgt. Timothy A. Officer, 32, and Sgt. Marty B. Bettelyoun, 35, died from injuries they received Monday during military freefall training at the Eglin Air Force Base range. 
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U.S. Navy sailor dies after parachute jump accident

U.S. Navy sailor dies after parachute jump accident in California
CNN
By Gabe Lamonica and Jethro Mullen
updated 5:11 AM EDT, Tue June 24, 2014

STORY HIGHLIGHTS
The accident took place during routine training, an official says
Authorities are investigating what caused it

(CNN) -- A U.S. Navy sailor died Monday after a parachute training jump went wrong in the Southern California desert, an official said.

Authorities are investigating the cause of the accident during routine training near El Centro, said Deputy Public Affairs Officer Chief Brandon Raile.

The sailor, whose identity wasn't disclosed, was a member of a West Coast-based Naval Special Warfare Command, Raile said in a statement.
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Col. Darron L. Wright killed in Fort Bragg parachute accident

Colonel killed in Fort Bragg parachute accident
Army Times
Joe Gould
Staff Writer
September25, 2013

A paratrooper killed during a parachute training exercise Monday has been identified as 46-year-old Col. Darron L. Wright.

Wright, the 18th Airborne Corps assistant chief of staff for plans (G-5), died while conducting “a standard MC-6 parachute jump at Sicily Drop Zone,” according to a statement fromFort Bragg, N.C.

Wright, of Mesquite, Texas, is survived by his wife and three children.

Experienced jumpers and onlookers described Wright’s parachute malfunction as a cigarette roll, which requires the user to activate a reserve chute, the Fort Bragg Patch reported.

The MC-6 tactical assault parachute was introduced to replace the MC-1 series. It was designed to turn almost twice as fast as its predecessor, which allows special operators to maneuver onto smaller drop zones.

In a news release this morning, Lt. Gen. Joe Anderson, commander of 18th Airborne Corps and Fort Bragg, and others, lamented Wright’s death.
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Fort Bragg solider died in parachute accident while training

Fort Bragg soldier dies in training exercise
Fayobserver.com
By Caitlin Dineen
Staff writer
September 23, 2013

A Fort Bragg soldier died Monday in a parachute accident during a training exercise, officials said.

The soldier was a member of the 18th Airborne Corps. The soldier's identity has not been released pending notification of family.

"Our prayers are with the soldier's family as they begin to work through this terrible tragedy," Fort Bragg officials said in a news release.

This is the first Fort Bragg soldier to die in a parachute training accident in two years.
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Schofield soldier dies in skydiving incident

Schofield soldier dies in skydiving incident
Associated Press
Jul. 28, 2013

HONOLULU — A Honolulu skydiver who died after losing consciousness while jumping from a plane was a decorated Army veteran.

Hawaii News Now reported Friday that 30-year-old Capt. Martin Monahan had been assigned to Schofield Barracks since 2010.

Monahan was practicing a maneuver when he attempted to jump over Dillingham Airfield on Tuesday.
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Army Ranger killed in parachute accident only back a month from Afghanistan

Christopher P. Dona Dead: Army Identifies Massachusetts Ranger Killed During Parachute Training
Huffington Post
AP
06/15/13

ATLANTA — The U.S. Army Ranger killed in an apparent parachuting mishap was a 21-year-old veteran from Massachusetts who recently returned from Afghanistan, officials said Saturday.

Pfc. Christopher P. Dona was found dead Thursday with parachute cords and canvas straps from a harness wrapped around his neck after a routine training jump at Fort Stewart in southeast Georgia. It was not immediately clear what caused the fatality. Army authorities are investigating the incident.

An Army spokesman earlier said Dona's parachute seemed to work normally during the jump. When he landed, wind filled the parachute's canopy, dragging Dona about 350 feet along the ground. Dona was unconscious by the time fellow soldiers reached him.

Dona served in the 1st Battalion of the 75th Ranger Regiment based at Hunter Army Airfield in Savannah. He was a combat veteran who returned last month from his first deployment to Afghanistan.
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Video captures soldier being sucked out of Hercules Transport

Accidentally deployed parachute sucks soldier out of plane
(VIDEO)
RT
Published time: May 09, 2013

A United States soldier was onboard a military plane recently when he unexpectedly embarked on what is likely to be his most memorable adventure ever — and it was caught on film.

An unidentified US paratrooper was preparing to jump from what is believed to be a C-130 Hercules military transport plane when his rip cord was caught on the launching ramp, triggering the release of the soldier’s reserve parachute.
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Here is the video from damwhyyousad.

Navy SEAL Team 6 member died, another injured in parachuting accident

Navy SEAL Dead, Another Injured After Arizona Parachuting Accident
AP/The Huffington Post
Posted: 03/29/2013

UPDATE: NBC News is reporting that the Navy SEAL killed in the incident is from SEAL TEAM 6, the group that carried out the killing of Osama bin Laden.

TUCSON, Ariz. -- One of two Navy SEALs injured during parachute training in southern Arizona has died while the other man remained hospitalized Friday, authorities said.

The names of the two SEALs, both from an East Coast Naval Special Warfare Unit, weren't immediately released and military officials said the accident was under investigation.

U.S. Special Operations Command spokesman Kenneth McGraw said the SEALs were practicing "routine military free-fall training" when the accident occurred about 12:30 p.m. MST Thursday.
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2 GIs Injured in Parachute Accident at Bragg

2 GIs Injured in Parachute Accident at Bragg
October 19, 2011
Fayetteville (N.C.) Observer|by James Halpin

Two Soldiers were hospitalized late Tuesday afternoon when they were injured in a parachuting accident on Fort Bragg, the Army said.

The Soldiers, who were not immediately identified, were taken to separate area hospitals to be treated for injuries sustained during an airborne training operation, said Lt. Col. Tom Bryant, a spokesman for the Army's Special Operations Command.

The extent of their injuries, Bryant said, was being assessed Tuesday night.

One of the Soldiers is special operations, Bryant said.

Bryant said he did not know the unit where the other Soldier was assigned.

Radio traffic overheard shortly after 5 p.m. indicated the Soldiers had fallen from more than 1,000 feet in the air and were being medevaced.
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Five soldiers remain in ICU following Germany training jump

Five soldiers remain in ICU following Germany training jump
By STEVEN BEARDSLEY
Stars and Stripes
Published: October 6, 2011
GRAFENWÖHR, Germany — Five soldiers remained in intensive care Thursday morning from injuries suffered during a parachute jump in the Hohenfels Training Area on Wednesday, according to a spokeswoman for the Joint Multinational Training Command.

Meanwhile, the monthlong exercise that began Wednesday will continue as planned, she said.

Twenty soldiers remained hospitalized in the nearby city of Regensburg as of Thursday morning, said Denver Makle, the JMTC spokeswoman. Four of the five soldiers in the intensive care unit were admitted directly upon transport from the field on Wednesday. The fifth was later transferred to the ICU.
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Marine Major dies after BASE jumping in Switzerland

Marine from Atkinson killed in accident overseas

By JASON SCREIBER
Union Leader Correspondent
Published Jul 15, 2011

MAJ. JEREMY J. GRACZYK

ATKINSON – A decorated Marine from Atkinson died Tuesday in a recreational sporting accident in Switzerland while on a month-long leave.

Military officials said Maj. Jeremy J. Graczyk, 33, was killed while taking part in a sport known as BASE jumping, which involves using a parachute to jump from fixed objects.

The cause of the accident remains under investigation.
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Marine from Atkinson killed in accident overseas

Another National Guards solider dies in parachute incident

Soldier dies in training at Fort Harrison
By EVE BYRON Independent Record

A soldier training at Fort Harrison Sunday afternoon died from injuries received during parachute activities.

The soldier was with the West Virginia Army National Guard’s 2nd Battalion, 19th Special Forces Group. Major Tim Crowe, chief of public affairs for Montana at Fort Harrison, declined to provide details of the accident, including the name of the soldier, whether the incident involved a helicopter or airplane, or how the death occurred.


Read more: Soldier dies in training at Fort Harrison

Florida Marine dies after parachute doesn't deploy

Marine dies after parachute doesn't deploy

The Associated Press

3:34 p.m. EDT, September 11, 2009


WAUCHULA, Fla. - Authorities say a Marine has died from injuries sustained when his parachute didn't open during a training exercise in Hardee County.

According to a release Thursday from the sheriff's office, the Marines were jumping from a C130 aircraft when someone called 911 to report that a Marine's parachute didn't deploy.

The unidentified Marine was taken to Florida Hospital Wauchula. Marine Forces Reserve spokesman Capt. Paul Greenberg confirmed Friday that the Marine was killed in the accident, but would not release further information.

A joint investigation is being conducted by military personnel and the Hardee County Sheriff's Office.

The training exercise was being held in the Peace River town of Wauchula.
Marine dies after parachute did not deploy

Col. James L. Merchant III, died after parachute accident

Parachutist was a distinguished soldier
Tampabay.com - St. Petersburg,FL,USA
Curtis Krueger, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, January 31, 2009


TAMPA — The Army colonel who died in a parachute accident this week was a career soldier who served in Iraq and Afghanistan and earned the Bronze Star.

Beyond being a fighter, Col. James L. Merchant III also was an intellectual who puzzled out how to communicate advantageously with foreign enemies.

"It required much intellectual energy and rigor," said his friend and colleague at Special Operations Command, Col. John Leonard. Merchant succeeded with "his ability to think through some of the most difficult problems that we deal with in the command here."

Merchant, 46, was from South Carolina and joined the military in 1984 through a program at the Citadel, where he graduated. His career took him to Korea, Italy, Croatia, Qatar and the Air War College, which emphasizes use of air and space power in joint and multinational fighting.

Witnesses said one parachutists seem to veer far from the group, and dropped into a lake outside of MacDill Air Force Base. He separated from his parachute and began swimming, but for unknown reasons he went under the water. The cause of the accident is under investigation.
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