Fort Jackson Staff Sgt. Zachary Melton found dead days after second drill sergeant's body was discovered on Army base
Olivia House
Published Sep 16, 2026
FORT Jackson Staff Sgt. Zachary Melton has become the second drill sergeant to die in eight days after his body was found on an Army base.
Poignant tributes have been paid to the “incredible son and friend who will be missed by all that knew him.”
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U.S. Army Garrison Fort Jackson announced: "Staff Sgt. Zachary L. Melton, 30, a drill sergeant with the 1st Battalion, 34th Infantry Regiment, was found deceased in his car on Saturday Dec. 16."
He was pronounced dead at the scene.
One friend wrote on Facebook: "He was such a good dude. He will be sorely missed."
Another said: "Rest in peace Drill Sergeant Melton I will never forget everything you taught me. You were an incredible mentor."
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Someone else posted: "SDS Melton was such an amazing instructor, one that our platoon looked up to... Rest in Peace SDS Melton, and my condolence to the family."
And a fourth wrote: "More needs to be done… this is the second one this month… not to mention all the other soldiers in the country."
Meanwhile, Fort Jackson said on Facebook: "Melton spent more than 10 years in the Army with the last three years as a drill sergeant on Fort Jackson.
"He had the Parachutist Badge, was an equal opportunity representative and completed the Marksmanship Master Trainer Course."
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ALLEN M. BURTRAM
Melton, from Huntsville, Alabama, was the second drill sergeant found dead at Fort Jackson in South Carolina in just over a week.
Officials said on December 9 that the remains of Allen M. Burtram, a drill sergeant with the 2nd Battalion, 13th Infantry Regiment was discovered by unit members after he failed to report for work.
BOTH DEATHS 'TRAGIC'
Brig. Gen. Jason E. Kelly, Fort Jackson commanding general, has paid tribute to Melton.
He said: “As a Fort Jackson community, we are mourning the tragic loss of two of our drill sergeants within the past few weeks.
“While there are several ongoing investigations into the specifics of each of these deaths, we are taking very deliberate steps to ensure our resiliency resource offerings are adequate and responsive.”
Unit personnel had located Melton's remains after he failed to report for work.
But, emergency medical services personnel "pronounced him deceased shortly after arriving," added Kelly.
He said: “We are extremely saddened by the loss of Staff Sgt. Melton.
“Our thoughts are with his family and the soldiers of the Always Forward battalion during this very emotional time.”
The 1st battalion, 34th regiment's motto is “Always Forward.”
CHAPLAINS
Military chaplains and behavioral health personnel are being provided to support members of the unit.
His next-of-kin have been notified of his death, and the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID) is investigating, according to Kelly.
Melton had received myriad awards and decorations during his short career, including the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and Afghanistan Campaign Medal with campaign star.
In regards to the passing of Burtram, 34, Fort Jackson Emergency Medical Services pronounced him dead after they arrived on base, Army officials said.
The CID has also started an investigation into his death, reported Stripes.
TRAINING DEATH
In June, Army Sgt. Jaime Contreras died during a training exercise at Fort Jackson.
The 40-year-old Army staff sergeant training to be a drill sergeant was found dead after failing to return from a land navigation course.
Search crews found Contreras nearly 11 hours after he was supposed to have completed the three-hour course at Fort Jackson near Columbia.
Contreras was only about 50 meters (164 feet) off the course “but that is very unforgiving terrain,” said Maj. John Farrell, the director of Emergency Services at the Army’s largest training base.
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He was a member of the 82nd Airborne Division and lived in Las Vegas.
The U.S. Sun has contacted Fort Jackson and CID for further comment.
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