Subscribe
Sgt. 1st Class Dejaun K. Frazier, left, and Spc. Kenmaj D. Graham died in traffic accidents at Fort Bliss, Texas, over the weekend.

Sgt. 1st Class Dejaun K. Frazier, left, and Spc. Kenmaj D. Graham died in traffic accidents at Fort Bliss, Texas, over the weekend. (Fort Bliss)

AUSTIN, Texas — Fort Bliss is mourning the loss of two soldiers who died in traffic accidents near the west Texas Army base over the weekend.

Sgt. 1st Class Dejaun K. Frazier, 43, died in a motorcycle accident Saturday in El Paso, the city outside the gate of Fort Bliss, according to base officials. The native of Tallahassee, Fla., previously served in the Marine Corps and joined the Army in February 2011 as a telecommunications operations chief.

Frazier arrived at Fort Bliss in November 2018 after serving as an Army instructor at Fort Gordon, Ga., and a section chief at Fort Bragg, N.C. Fort Bliss was his third duty station in the Army.

He was serving as a signal platoon sergeant in the 1st Armored Division Artillery Brigade and “was a combat-proven leader who was dedicated to taking care of his soldiers,” Lt. Col. Michael R. Wacker, the division’s assistant chief of staff, said in a statement.

Spc. Kenmaj D. Graham, a 21-year-old cavalry scout with the division’s 3rd Brigade Combat Team, died after being hit by a vehicle early Sunday morning in El Paso, according to base officials. He was transported to a local hospital, where he later died from his injuries.

Graham, of Wichita, Kan., joined the Army in July 2017 from Kansas City, Mo., and Fort Bliss was his first duty station, base officials said. He arrived at Fort Bliss in December 2017 after completing basic and individual training at Fort Benning, Ga. He was assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 13th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team.

“Spc. Graham was a valued member of [our] team, a cavalry scout, with a bright future in the U.S. Army. He will be missed,” said Col. Jabari Miller, commander of 3rd Brigade.

Both accidents occurred under the jurisdiction of the El Paso Police Department, which has not released any additional information. The 1st Armored Division is the largest unit at Fort Bliss, which is home to about 25,000 soldiers.

Frazier was a 2018 graduate of the U.S. Army Senior Leaders Course and held the additional skill identifier of master resiliency trainer, base officials said.

His awards and decorations include three Army Commendation Medals, Army Achievement Medal, Navy & Marine Corps Achievement Medal, Combat Action Ribbon, three Army Good Conduct Medals, Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, Navy Expeditionary Ribbon, National Defense Service Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Marine Expeditionary Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, three Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbons, Navy Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, Navy & Marine Corps Overseas Service Ribbon, NATO Medal, Presidential Unit Citation (Navy), Navy Unit Citation and Driver and Mechanic Badge.

Graham’s awards and decorations include the Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, National Defense Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Korea Defense Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, and Overseas Service Ribbon.

author picture
Rose L. Thayer is based in Austin, Texas, and she has been covering the western region of the continental U.S. for Stars and Stripes since 2018. Before that she was a reporter for Killeen Daily Herald and a freelance journalist for publications including The Alcalde, Texas Highways and the Austin American-Statesman. She is the spouse of an Army veteran and a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in journalism. Her awards include a 2021 Society of Professional Journalists Washington Dateline Award and an Honorable Mention from the Military Reporters and Editors Association for her coverage of crime at Fort Hood.

Sign Up for Daily Headlines

Sign up to receive a daily email of today's top military news stories from Stars and Stripes and top news outlets from around the world.

Sign Up Now