FORT JACKSON, S.C. -- The Fort Jackson community will pay tribute to one of its Soldiers in a memorial service 9 a.m. today at the Post Theater. Capt. Tony Brannon, commander of Company E, 3rd Battalion, 34th Infantry Regiment, was killed Saturday night in a car accident.
According to the South Carolina Highway Patrol, the one-car accident occurred at the intersection of Clemson and Percival roads. Brannon died at the scene.
Brannon, 38, was a native of Jamestown, Tenn. and enlisted in the Army in 1991 as a medic. As a sergeant first class, he attended Officer Candidate School and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Signal Corps in 2005.
He was assigned to Fort Jackson in 2007 and became a company commander last June.
"Capt. Tony Brannon was an outstanding company commander who served in the 3rd Battalion, 34th Infantry Regiment for the past two and half years," said Lt. Col. Bryan Hernandez, 3-34th battalion commander. "He rose from the enlisted ranks to become a commissioned officer assigned to the Signal branch."
Aside from being a good Soldier, Brannon would be remembered as a family man and sports enthusiast, Hernandez said.
"Tony loved three things in life; his family, his Soldiers and sports," Hernandez said. "He served as a youth coach and team captain for numerous military sports teams. He will be missed by all those who served with him in peace time and combat."
Capt. Brett Lea, 3-34th operations officer, said that Brannon's impact was felt throughout the community.
"I worked with Tony for the past two years and I will really miss him," Lea said. "He was full of life and really gave of himself. He was committed to his family and the community. The measure of a man can be seen by the number of lives that he touched. By that measure, he was a great man who will be truly missed."
Capt. Nichole Propes, deputy director of training with the Directorate of Basic Combat Training, was Brannon's company commander during his first assignment on Fort Jackson as executive officer with Company A, 3-34th.
"Capt. Brannon was passionate about everything he did - family, Soldiers, work, friends and sports," Propes said. "He worked hard to accomplish tasks assigned to him. Tony was a no-nonsense officer who was always looking for solutions to problems. (His death is) a great loss to his family as well as the U.S. Army."
Brannon is survived by his wife, Jessica, his five children and his parents, retired Command Sgt. Maj. Johnny Brannon and Mary Brannon of Jamestown, Tenn.
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