U.S. Rep. Arrington introduces stronger safety protocols in military

By Mateo Rosiles
March 9, 2026
AS SEE IN THE LUBBOCK AVALANCHE-JOURNAL

In 2020, a Lubbock Army soldier suffered a head injury while on active duty at Fort Bragg in North Carolina. After multiple medical visits, Private Second Class Caleb “Smitty” Smither died and was not discovered until five days later.

U.S. Rep. Jodey Arrington, R-Lubbock, has introduced a bill aimed at avoiding tragedies like

“Smither lived his dream of serving our country as an Army paratrooper, but his life was tragically cut short due to preventable accountability failures,” said Arrington. “After years of pushing for reform and already securing ‘Smitty Checks’ for the Army, my Smitty Check Act takes the next step by expanding those proven measures across the entire Department of War and establishing a clear standard of in person verification when a service member is injured, ill, or on sick call, ensuring no soldier is ever left unaccounted for when leadership has a duty to verify their safety."

Arrington had previously secured reforms honoring Smither by directing the Army to report to Congress on the implementation and enforcement of the “Smitty Check” protocol that requires leadership to monitor servicemembers following injury or illness and strengthening accountability for their welfare.

The Fayetteville Observer The Fayetteville Observer

Looking to build on the protocol, the Smitty Check Act would expand these lifesaving safeguards across the entire Department of War, establishing a standardized expectation for in-person wellness checks across all branches of the Armed Forces, according to Arrington's team.

It would focus on:

• Requires the Department of War to establish a standardized expectation for wellness check procedures across all branches of the Armed Forces for servicemembers who are injured, ill, or on sick call. 
• Ensure leaders escalate to in-person verification when a servicemember cannot be reached through digital communication methods, strengthening accountability for the health and safety of those in uniform. 
• Expands this accountability framework across the entire Department of War to ensure consistent standards across the Armed Forces.

The bill has been endorsed by Reps. Mike Lawler (R-NY), Addison McDowell (R-NC), Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL), John Rose (R-TN), Matt Van Epps (R-TN) and by the American Legion. Most importantly, the bill has the blessing of Smither's mother — Heather Baker.

"After six years of advocacy, seeing leaders unite around this effort brings real hope — not just for me, but for military families across our nation," Baker said. "The Smitty Check is a simple, face-to-face act — grounded in human connection and designed to ensure no one is overlooked. The military prides itself on checking, double-checking, and triple-checking equipment, processes, and missions. With the Smitty Check, we extend that same principle to our people — so no Soldier is ever left behind."

Pvt. 2nd Class Caleb "Smitty" Smither is seen with his mother,  Heather Baker, during one of his visits back home to Texas, before he was assigned to Fort Bragg. Contributed/Heather Baker

What happened to Private Second Class Caleb “Smitty” Smither?

Smither, affectionately known as Smitty, was a paratrooper with the E Company, 37th Brigade Engineer Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team.

According to USA TODAY, Smither had only been at Fort Bragg for seven weeks and four days before being found dead.

A chart from the Criminal Investigation Division report into the death of Pvt. 2nd Class  Caleb Smither details the timeline leading up to the discovery of his body in his barracks bedroom on Jan 21, 2020. Contributed

According to an Army Criminal Investigation Division report, Smither died of bacterial meningitis. The report further states that Smither hit his head in early January 2020 while working in the motor pool on a military vehicle.

Smither visited the medical center on base several times over the course of a few days. He was given medicine and a CT but ultimately was sent to his barracks to rest.

The last time anyone saw him was Jan. 16, 2020, five days before his body was found.

The findings of the investigation — a breakdown in welfare checks.

“The leadership failed for at least four days to check on the health and welfare of a junior paratrooper who injured his head, vomited, went to the emergency room twice, had a concussion, and seemingly was no better as the week progressed," the investigating officer wrote in the report.