Fort Bragg officials identified the paratrooper killed in a Thursday morning traffic accident as Cpl. Mojave Littlejohn.
The deceased soldier served as a horizontal construction engineer at the North Carolina post. He was assigned to 161st Engineer Support Company, 27th Engineer Battalion, 20th Engineer Brigade.
“Cpl. Littlejohn was an exceptional Soldier, friend, and paratrooper,” said Lt. Col. Shawn Polonkey, commander of the 27th Engineer Battalion, in a press release.
“He had a larger than life personality, a razor-sharp wit, and an ever-present sense of optimism,” Polonkey added. “He was incredibly proud to be a paratrooper, and unmistakably loved his Family, his nation, and those with whom he served.”
Littlejohn, who hailed from Roseville, Michigan, was “a competitive weightlifter and fitness enthusiast,” the release said.
He joined the Army in March 2019 and completed his basic and advanced training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, before attending jump school at Fort Benning, Georgia.
Littlejohn died Thursday morning after an 18-wheeler he was driving struck the back of a military excavator at approximately 9:15 a.m., Fort Bragg officials told Army Times.
The accident took place on a gravel road while the unit was transporting equipment to training ranges.
The Army’s Combat Readiness Center is leading the investigation into the crash, which injured two soldiers who were riding with Littlejohn.
The surviving soldiers required extraction from the damaged truck, officials told Army Times.
“Cpl. Littlejohn was an integral part of the many important missions undertaken by the company, performing commendably,” Polonkey said. “We will keep this Rock paratrooper, his Family, and his friends in our thoughts and prayers.”
Davis Winkie covers the Army for Military Times. He studied history at Vanderbilt and UNC-Chapel Hill, and served five years in the Army Guard. His investigations earned the Society of Professional Journalists' 2023 Sunshine Award and consecutive Military Reporters and Editors honors, among others. Davis was also a 2022 Livingston Awards finalist.
