82nd Airborne Division Paratrooper Found Dead

FORT BRAGG, N.C. - Staff Sgt. Michael Canida, an 82nd Airborne Division
Paratrooper, was found unresponsive Tuesday evening in his apartment in
Fayetteville, N.C. according to the Fort Bragg Public Affairs Office.

Canida, 32, of Montrose, Iowa, was a Chaplain's Assistant in
Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd Brigade Special Troops Battalion,
3rd Brigade Combat Team.

Canida joined the Army in May 1998.  After completing basic
training at Fort Leonardwood, Mo., and the U.S. Army Basic Airborne School at
Fort Benning, Ga., he was assigned to Company A, 3rd Battalion, 505th
Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team here.  In 2003, he
attended the chaplain's assistant course and was assigned to Headquarters and
Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment.

Canida deployed with the 82nd Airborne Division in support of
Operation Iraqi Freedom from October 2003 - April 2004 and two times in
support of Operation Enduring Freedom, June - December 2002 and September-
November 2004.  He also deployed with 3rd Battalion, 160th Special Operations
Aviation Regiment from August - September 2005.

His awards and decorations include the Army Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters, the Army Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters, the Army Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Afghanistan and Iraq Campaign Medals, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary and Service Medals, the Army Service Ribbon, the Overseas Service Ribbon, the Combat Infantry Badge, the Parachutist Badge and the Air Assault Badge.

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