{"id":25159,"date":"2018-08-03T21:57:28","date_gmt":"2018-08-03T21:57:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/uncategorized\/2018\/08\/03\/army-delta-force-sergeant-major-dies-in-free-fall-parachute-training\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T02:27:26","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T02:27:26","slug":"army-delta-force-sergeant-major-dies-in-free-fall-parachute-training","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/news\/your-army\/2018\/08\/03\/army-delta-force-sergeant-major-dies-in-free-fall-parachute-training\/","title":{"rendered":"Army Delta Force sergeant major dies during free-fall parachute training"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A highly decorated special operations soldier has died from wounds received during <a href=\"https:\/\/www.armytimes.com\/news\/your-army\/2018\/02\/08\/army-ranger-died-during-free-fall-training-in-january\/\" target=\"_blank\">military free-fall training<\/a>, U.S. Army <a href=\"https:\/\/www.armytimes.com\/land\/2018\/05\/22\/socoms-next-five-year-plan-will-transform-the-force\/\" target=\"_blank\">Special Operations Command <\/a>confirmed Friday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sgt. Maj. Christopher Nelms died July 1 while training in Laurinburg, North Carolina, Lt. Col. Robert Bockholt, a spokesman for USASOC, said in a statement to Army Times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Nelms&#8217; death, which the Army did not announce, was first reported by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.yahoo.com\/news\/soldier-secret-unit-dies-training-accident-202109847.html\" target=\"_blank\">Yahoo News<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Nelms, who Yahoo News identified as a member of the Army\u2019s elite and secretive Delta Force, died when his parachute failed to fully open during a June 27 jump, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.yahoo.com\/news\/soldier-secret-unit-dies-training-accident-202109847.html\" target=\"_blank\">the outlet reported<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Bockholt told Army Times the incident is under investigation. He declined to provide any more information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Nelms, 46, of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, joined the Army in 1990 as an infantryman. He served with 1st Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment at what\u2019s now Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington, deploying to the Philippines and twice to Iraq, according to information from USASOC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Nelms then served in the Army National Guard\u2019s 19th Special Forces Group, according to Yahoo News.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 2008, Nelms returned to active duty and was assigned to U.S. Special Operations Command, where he served as an assault team member, an assistant team sergeant, a team sergeant, an operations sergeant major and a troop sergeant major, according to USASOC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He deployed six times to Iraq and Afghanistan and once to Niger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cHe had a great reputation,\u201d a former Delta operator who knew Nelms told Yahoo News. \u201cEveryone who serves at the unit is handpicked, so whether it\u2019s [in training] or in combat, the reality is losing someone at that level is devastating.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Nelms was \u201cirreplaceable,\u201d the former operator said, according to Yahoo News. \u201cIt\u2019ll be a decade before someone can fill those kinds of slots, with that experience, with that training.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1084\" height=\"642\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/christopher-nelms.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-53057\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/christopher-nelms.jpg.jpg 1084w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/christopher-nelms.jpg.jpg?resize=300,178 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/christopher-nelms.jpg.jpg?resize=768,455 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/christopher-nelms.jpg.jpg?resize=1024,606 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1084px) 100vw, 1084px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Then Master Sgt. Christopher Nelms and Sgt. Maj. Walter Zajkowski compete against each other in the sling load recovery event during the final day of the 30th annual Best Ranger Competition on Fort Benning, Ga., April 14, 2013. Nelms and Zajkowski were assigned to Headquarters Company, U.S. Army Special Operations Command. (Defense Department)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Nelms\u2019 awards and decorations include two Silver Stars, the Soldier\u2019s Medal, six Bronze Star medals, one with the V device, two Defense Meritorious Service Medals, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Joint Service Commendation Medal with V device, two Army Commendation Medals, the Joint Service Achievement Medal with C device, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal with two Bronze Service Stars, the Iraq Campaign Medal with two Bronze Service Stars, and the Inherent Resolve Campaign Medal with one Bronze Service Star.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He also had the Special Forces tab, the Ranger tab, the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Expert Infantryman Badge, the Military Freefall Jumpmaster Badge, the Master Parachutist Badge, the Air Assault Badge and the Special Operations Diver Badge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Nelms was posthumously awarded the Legion of Merit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He was the second special operations soldier to die this year during free-fall training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.armytimes.com\/news\/your-army\/2018\/02\/08\/army-ranger-died-during-free-fall-training-in-january\/\" target=\"_blank\">Sgt. Maj. Samuel Morris McAllister<\/a>, 45, died on Jan. 24 in Eloy, Arizona. McAllister, who was posthumously promoted from master sergeant to sergeant major, was an infantry senior sergeant with the 75th Ranger Regiment.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The incident is under 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