--- title: "Paratrooper in Alaska found dead in his barracks room" description: "Spc. Milik Jaquez Craig, 20, was found dead by a fellow soldier last week in his barracks room at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska" date: "2020-04-06" modified: "2020-04-06" authors: - name: "Haley Britzky" job_title: "Former Army Reporter" link: "https://taskandpurpose.com/authors/haley-britzky/" url: "https://taskandpurpose.com/news/army-paratrooper-found-dead-alaska/" categories: - "Army" - "Around the World" - "Military Branches" - "News" - "United States" tags: - "Northern Command" --- # Paratrooper in Alaska found dead in his barracks room ![]() A 20-year-old paratrooper was found dead in his barracks room at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, by a fellow soldier on Thursday night. - Spc. Milik Jaquez Craig, from Columbia, South Carolina, was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 501st Infantry Regiment, [according to a report from Army Times](). - "Milik Craig was an amazing paratrooper, teammate, and friend to all Geronimos," Lt. Col. Matthew Myer, commander of the 1st Battalion, said in a statement per Army Times. "His personal leadership, commitment, and hard work will be sorely missed by us all." - Craig joined the Army in March 2018, and arrived in Alaska in August 2018. His awards include the Army Service Ribbon, the Parachutist Badge, and the National Defense Service Medal. - His death is currently being investigated by the Army Criminal Investigation Division. ## Author Haley Britzky was the Task & Purpose Army reporter from 2019 to 2022. She previously worked at Axios covering breaking news. She reports on important developments within the service, from new uniforms to new policies; the realities of military life facing soldiers and their families; and broader cultural issues that expand outside of the Army, touching each of the military services. ### Author social links [LinkedIn]() [Twitter]()