A 29-year-old Fort Bragg paratrooper, Pfc. Mikel Rubino of Oroville, was found dead in his barracks room on Friday. He was declared dead when emergency medical services arrived on the scene.
The cause of death has not been identified yet and officials are looking into the case. Col. Phillip J. Kiniery III, Fort Bragg paratrooper's brigade commander, expressed grief over the loss of his team member. "This is a tough loss for his command and fellow Paratroopers," he wrote.
According to the 82nd Airborne Division, Mikel Rubino was found unresponsive in his barracks room and later pronounced dead after the arrival of emergency services.
Rubino joined the Army in 2020 and arrived at Fort Bragg in 2021. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team as an infantryman. The division stated that he had received many awards and decorations such as National Defense Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, and the Parachutist Badge. He has left behind his wife Alyssa, his daughter Legacy, and his mother Sheila.
As per official reports, amid the ongoing Taliban war, troopers from Fort Bragg's 82nd Airborne Division were deployed to Kabul to evacuate the US Embassy.
US President Joe Biden in a last-minute decision authorized thousands of US troops to be sent to evacuate the US embassy staff from Afganistan, where the Taliban has grabbed control of several Afghan cities. It is believed that the terrorist group had started violence and taking control over multiple cities in Afghanistan ever since Biden announced the removal of American troops out of the country in a formal meeting.
The lead battalion of the 82nd Airborne Brigade Combat Team has assisted in the State Department's drawdown, a defense official confirmed in a statement. On the day Rubino's death by announced by his division, Biden sent 1,000 US troops to Afghanistan to evacuate American diplomats and non-military personnel from Kabul.
The army officials have stated Rubino's death as a mystery and assured to release more information on the same at a later time. The investigation is underway by Criminal Investigation Department.
