A 30-year defence force paratrooper and Afghanistan veteran's sacrifice for his country is being honoured after he died in a mid-air training exercise.
Warrant Officer Lachlan Muddle, 50, collided with a fellow soldier a few hundred feet above the ground during a parachute exercise at Jervis Bay Airfield, on the NSW south coast, about 5.40pm on Monday.
He sustained fatal injuries during the high-altitude training exercise for the Australian Defence Force's Parachute School.
The two men had already deployed parachutes when the collision occurred, Special Operations Commander Major General Garth Gould told reporters on Tuesday.
"Both paratroopers were highly skilled, between the two of them they had several thousand jumps to their credit," he said.
The other soldier involved in the tragedy sustained minimal injury and was the first to provide first aid to WO Muddle.
WO Muddle joined the ADF in 1994 and served the majority of his time in the Special Air Service, the senior officer said.
Defence Minister Richard Marles said WO Muddle participated in five separate deployments, including to Afghanistan.
"He is very much remembered for his humour and his commitment to service," Mr Marles told reporters.
"Lachlan Muddle's sacrifice is as meaningful and significant as any of those on the battlefield."
The Defence department said it would support his family and all members involved in the tragic accident.
"The death of one of our soldiers is a tragedy and deeply felt by the army family and across the broader defence community," the department said in a statement.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Angus Taylor said all Australians were in debt to those who serve their country.
"This tragic accident is a stark reminder that there are no easy days for those who defend our nation," Mr Albanese said in a statement.
All parachuting operations across Australia have been paused during initial investigations into the incident.
The exercise was part of a six-week advanced free fall training exercise and was conducted in the early evening with participants wearing night-vision goggles, Maj Gen Gould said.
The death is the first in a parachuting accident since Lance Corporal Jack Fitzgibbon, son of former federal defence minister Joel Fitzgibbon, died in March 2024 during a training incident at RAAF Base Richmond, northwest of Sydney.
Cpl Fitzgibbon's death led to an investigation by the Department of Defence and the ADF, which has still not concluded, and a two-month halt to parachute training activities.
Despite the two deaths, Mr Marles said he was confident in the safety procedures in place for parachute training.
"Specifically in relation to parachuting, I've seen firsthand the skill and the competence of those men and women who serve in our defence force," he said.
RSL NSW extended its condolences to WO Muddle's family and the wider defence community.
"Training accidents are a stark reminder of the risks our servicemen and women continue to face in service to the nation, both here at home and abroad," RSL NSW said on Facebook.
The last active service member to die in any incident was in October 2025, when a M113 armoured personnel carrier rolled during a training exercise west of Townsville.
Two other service members were hospitalised with relatively minor injuries after the incident but were released.
Two soldiers were also killed in a truck rollover south of Townsville in August 2021.
The department was charged in September 2023 with breaching federal work health and safety laws over the incident.
