A Fort Bragg paratrooper assigned to the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division died during airborne training operations at Fort Bragg on Monday, April 19.
Spc. Abigail Jenks, 21, of Gansevoort, New York, was a fire support specialist serving as a forward observer in Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 1st Battalion, 319th Airborne Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd BCT. Jenks was conducting a static-line jump from a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter when she suffered the fatal injury.
“Spc. Jenks was a dedicated Paratrooper, gifted forward observer, loyal friend, and talented artist who consistently made a tremendous impact on all around her. She will be dearly missed. We are ensuring every resource is available to her family and peers to help them during this difficult time,” said Lt. Col. Christopher Walsh, commander of the 1-319th AFAR.”
Jenks, a three-time volunteer, enlisted in the U.S. Army in October of 2018. She was assigned to Fort Bragg as a paratrooper in June of 2019 after completing advanced individual training at Fort Sill, Oklahoma and the Basic Airborne Course at Fort Benning, Georgia.
“Spc. Abigail Jenks was a creative, hardworking, and confident Paratrooper. Her love for art, animals, and her friends reverberated wherever she worked,” said Capt. Brian Norman, Jenks’ battery commander. “Her compassion for fellow Paratroopers will be truly missed.”
Her awards and decorations include the Army Achievement Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Medal, Army Service Ribbon, and the Army Parachutist Badge. Jenks will be posthumously awarded the Meritorious Service Medal.
She is survived by her parents.
The incident is currently under investigation.
Courtesy photo/Contributed.
