29-year-old Fort Bragg paratrooper found dead in barracks

Private First Class Mikel Rubino, from Oroville, Calif., was declared dead when first responders arrived to the scene.

Rubino joined the U.S. Army last year and moved to Fort Bragg in 2021. He leaves behind his wife Alyssa, his daughter and his mother Sheila, officials said.

“We mourn Mikel’s passing alongside his family. Our thoughts and prayers are with them all during this difficult time,” said Col. Phillip J. Kiniery III, commander of the 2nd Bridge Combat Team.

He served as an infantryman assigned to the 2nd Battalion, the 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment, and the 2nd Brigade Combat Team.

Thousands of troopers with Fort Bragg's 82nd Airborne Division were sent to evacuate the U.S. Embassy in Kabul on Thursday.

Biden's last-minute decision to send thousands of U.S. troops into Afghanistan shows how dire security is as the Taliban seized control of multiple Afghan cities in a few short days.

Officials are investigating his death and more information will be released at a later time.