Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall talks with key leaders at McEntire Joint National Guard Base, South Carolina, July 31, 2024. The deceased Lt. Col. James Bryan Wright served in the S.C. Air National Guard for 30 years. (Master Sgt. Megan Floyd/U.S. Air National Guard)
(Tribune News Service) — An S.C. Air National Guard veteran who suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder leapt to his death while on a cruise in May, according to a police report.
Retired Lt. Col. James Bryan Wright, 53, of the small Lexington County town of Gaston, jumped from the Royal Caribbean Group’s Icon of the Seas, the largest cruise liner in the world, on May 26, according to a report from the Miami-Dade Police Department. He was recovered after a search that lasted nearly two hours and was pronounced dead quickly thereafter.
According to the report, Wright had just had a physical altercation with his wife, which prompted her to leave the cabin.
“Shortly after the altercation Mr. Wright exited the cabin at which point he made his way to deck 5 where he entered a secure gated area and proceeded to jump off the ship,” the report states.
The immense Icon of the Seas has 20 decks, which are equivalent to floors in a building.
The report notes that Wright suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder but doesn’t say how long he was afflicted with it.
According to Cruise Hive, a news outlet covering the cruise industry, the Icon of the Seas was about 300 miles from its home port of Miami when Wright jumped on the morning of Sunday, May 26. The ship, which was en route to the Honduran island Roatan, embarked on its journey the day before.
Wright served for 30 years in the S.C. Air National Guard, becoming a commissioned officer in 1998, according to his obituary. He served in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom.
“During his tour in Afghanistan, Bryan flew into many combat zones visiting soldiers and personnel assigned to his command,” his obituary states, noting that he served as director of manpower and personnel for the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force during his tour.
In 2014, he ended a stint as commander of the 169th Force Support Squadron of the S.C. Air National Guard at McEntire Joint National Guard Base in Hopkins. He later retired as deputy director of Human Resources-Joint Force Headquarters in 2018.
Wright was decorated for his service, having been awarded honors such as a Defense Meritorious Service Medal, a Meritorious Service Medal, an Air Force Commendation Medal, an Army Achievement Medal and an Air Force Achievement Medal, according to the Veterans Legacy Memorial database.
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