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Fort Bragg Officials Say Paratrooper Died Of Natural Causes

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FORT BRAGG, N.C. — Medical officials at Fort Bragg have determined that the soldier who was killed while conducting parachute proficiency training last weekend died from natural causes.

An autopsy conducted on Pfc. Ronald M. Jenkins found that he had a heart attack.

The medical inquiry into the factors that may have caused Jenkins' heart attack is continuing.

Jenkins was participating in proficiency jump training on Sicily Drop Zone last Saturday at approximately 9:30 a.m. He jumped with 24 other jumpers from a CH-47 Chinook helicopter.

All jumpers properly exited the aircraft. There were no observed malfunctions of main parachutes or deployments of reserve parachutes.

Jenkins was found unconscious on the drop zone after he landed. Medical personnel on the drop zone tried to assist him and called for air ambulance evacuation.

Jenkins was transported to Womack Army Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 10:40 a.m.

An inspection of Jenkins' parachute found that it had deployed properly.

The 29-year-old Jenkins was a native of Hillsboro, Ohio. He was a Counter-Intelligence specialist assigned to Company A, 319th Military Intelligence Battalion, 525th Military Intelligence Brigade.

He was married and had two children.

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