Missing 10th Mountain Division Soldier found deceased
The investigation is ongoing.
“We are devastated,” said Brig. Gen. Brett Funck, 10th Mountain Division (LI) and Fort Drum acting senior commander.
“It was well known here that Cpl. Harris was a great Soldier, and as we share our grief with his friends and family, I hear again and again how he was also – and most importantly – a really wonderful, caring person. His death is a tremendous loss for his loved ones, this division and our nation,” he said.
Harris, of Guys, Tennessee, joined the Army in March 2019. After training at Fort Benning, Georgia, he arrived at Fort Drum, New York, in July 2019.
His awards and decorations include two Army Achievement Medals, the National Defense Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and the Army Service Ribbon. He graduated Air Assault School in 2019.
He is survived by his mother, father and sister.
Harris was posthumously promoted to the rank of corporal and awarded the Army Commendation Medal, a solemn end to the vigil the unit had kept since the early hours of Friday, Dec. 18. Just hours after members of the unit lost contact with Harris, they reported him missing.
“Cpl. Harris had excellent teammates in the 1-89 Cavalry Regiment. I am proud of their quick action and hope that they can find some comfort in knowing they ultimately helped law enforcement officers locate Cpl. Harris and greatly empowered the investigation into his disappearance,” Funck said.
Several police agencies in multiple states assisted with the investigation. There was also an incredible response on social media and from news stations in an effort to share Harris’s picture when his whereabouts were unknown.
“We are grateful to everyone who shared his picture or said a prayer for his safe return, and we ask that you continue to tell the story of this great Soldier, and keep his Family in your thoughts and prayers, as we will,” Funck said.
“Our community is far-flung but close-knit. And in very tough times like this, we are especially grateful for the incredible relationships we have with our families, our friends, our community, and our partners,” Funck said.
(Fort Drum Public Affairs Office)