MEDIA RELEASE

The following statement can be attributed to Commander Special Forces Group Brigadier Marcus Fogarty:

Following the tragic accident which resulted in the death of Lance Corporal Jack Fitzgibbon on 7 March 2024, all parachute training was paused. His loss is deeply felt across the 2nd Commando Regiment, Special Operations Command, Army and the wider Australian Defence Force community.

The Australian Defence Force uses several types of parachutes to deploy personnel and equipment. Training has resumed on all types with the exception of the Military Javelin Parachute System, the parachute type used during the March training incident, which remains paused.

Independent authorities, including the NSW Coroner and the Inspector General of the Australian Defence Force, are conducting investigations into the March training incident. We must let the investigations run their course and present their findings. Defence is cooperating fully with these investigations.

All military training involves inherent risk, however we do everything we can to mitigate this risk and keep our people safe, while delivering the required capability.

We are returning to training to make sure we can respond to any need, at any time, and to maintain our world-class special forces.