Paratrooper dies in training accident

82nd Abn. Div. PAO

June 30, 2011

	Clay

An 82nd Airborne Division paratrooper died Saturday night on Fort Bragg during an airborne operation.

Staff Sgt. Jamal Clay, 25, of Elida, Ohio, was a vehicle recovery supervisor with Company G, 1st Battalion, 319th Airborne Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Abn. Div.
“Staff Sergeant Jamal Clay was the best paratrooper in the Company. Everybody wanted to be like him,” said Capt. Luke Bird, Co. G commander. “He was a natural leader and a skilled mechanic who made the whole battalion better.”

Clay joined the Army in 2004 and attended Basic Combat Training and Advanced Individual Training at Fort Jackson, S.C. He arrived to Co. G in 2005.

“Staff Sergeant Jamal Clay was a tremendous airborne leader and role model for paratroopers. His personal discipline, high standards, and genuine teamwork set the example for the rest of the battalion,” said Lt. Col. John Rafferty, commander of 1st Battalion, 319th AFAR.

Clay deployed twice to Iraq in 2006 and 2008 with Co. G.

“His contributions to the battalion, during two combat deployments to Iraq and one Global Response Force mission cycle, have been enormous,” said Rafferty.

Clay is survived by his wife, Jasmine and two children, Jamier Brown, 6, and Janye McKenzie, 2.
The incident is under investigation but initial reports indicate a parachute malfunction.

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