CHICAGO (AP) — The Army parachutist who died following a jump at the Chicago Air & Water Show is being remembered as a dedicated soldier determined to make his mark in the military.
Wayne Mills is the stepfather of 32-year-old Sgt. 1st Class Corey Hood, who died Sunday, a day after being knocked unconscious during a midair collision with a member of the Navy’s precision skydiving team.
Mills tells the Chicago Tribune that Hood wanted to be a soldier since childhood, and was “proud to serve his country.”
He says Hood once told the Army’s review board that he wanted to be the youngest sergeant major in the Army.
Hood was from Cincinnati, Ohio. He served five tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, earning two Bronze Stars and other awards.
