CW3 Dillon Michael Adams — soldier, gym rat, Spartan racer, and self-appointed connoisseur of a good bassline — has left the building, and you can bet he made an entrance in Heaven.

Dillon was born on April 23, 1990, in Bangor, Maine, to Shelly and Christopher Adams. He was raised in Parkman, ME, and graduated from Tri County Technical High School in Dexter, ME — a small-town kid who went on to build one of the most impressive careers in Army Special Operations, and never once let it go to his head.

Dillon joined the Army in 2008 as a Signal Support Systems Specialist and was assigned to the 1-508th PIR at Fort Bragg, NC, where he deployed to Afghanistan twice in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. He went on to serve as a Wideband Radio Technician at the White House Communications Agency in Washington, DC — because apparently regular top-secret work wasn't enough of a challenge. After completing WOCS and RASP 2, he began his SOF career as a Network Systems Tech with 2/75th Ranger Regiment at JBLM, Washington, then served as a Network Operations Warrant Officer at Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), Fort Bragg, NC. At the time of his passing, he was the Senior Technology Strategist for Task Force Easy in the USASOC AI Division, Fort Bragg, NC — still on the cutting edge, right to the end.

His awards include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal (second award), the Joint Service Commendation Medal with C-Device, the Joint Service Commendation Medal, the Army Commendation Medal (second award), the Army Achievement Medal, the Army Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal with Campaign Star, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Humanitarian Service Medal, the Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon, the Army Service Ribbon, the Overseas Service Ribbon, the NATO Medal, the Combat Action Badge, the Parachutist Badge, and the Presidential Service Badge. In short: the man had more hardware than most people have hangers in their closet, and he earned every piece of it.

But if you knew Dillon outside of the uniform, you knew the real mission statement: live loud … literally. He was the guy who could be found at the gym before most people's alarms went off. Chasing one more rep, one more PR, one more reason to feel unstoppable. When the gym wasn't enough, he went and found mud, barbed wire, and fire to run through instead. Dillon was a certified Spartan Race addict, finishing 31 races and earning 10 Trifectas along the way. He crawled, climbed, and clawed his way through 865 obstacles across 457 kilometers, racking up over 4 days, 11 hours, and 7 minutes of pure grit on the course … because apparently a full-time Army career and elite physical fitness wasn’t enough. He loved music the way some people love their jobs — completely, unapologetically, bass turned up way past what was reasonable. Give him a good set and he was exactly where he wanted to be. He didn't just love life — he trained for it, raced for it, and danced through it.

Dillon is survived by his family — a colorful cast of characters now left without their Chief Instigator — including his daughter, Eliyannah Grace, of Chesapeake, Virginia; his fiancée, Elisabeth Barbee, of Fayetteville, North Carolina; his siblings, Jess Adams, Aaron Adams, Fern Adams, John Adams, and Daniel Adams, of Topsham, Maine; his father, Christopher Adams, of Parkman, Maine; and his mother, Shelly Adams, of Caloosa, Florida. The family promises to carry on his legacy and continue putting the "fun" in dysfunctional, in his honor.

The family asks that you hit the gym for him, sign up for a race you're not quite ready for, and turn the music up a little louder than you normally would. Dillon spent his whole life defending the freedom for the rest of us to live exactly like that.

Rest easy, Dillon. Save us a spot at the finish line - and on the dance floor.

Family and friends are invited to celebrate Dillon's life at a Celebration of Life service to be held Saturday, July 25, 2026, at 10 am at Manna Church, 5117 Cliffdale Rd., Fayetteville, NC 28314. A reception will follow at the church. A second Celebration of Life service will be held Saturday, August 1, 2026, at 11a.m. at O'Donoghue's Pub, 103 Pleasant St., Brunswick, Maine 04011. It will be a time of celebration sharing stories and honoring Dillon Michael Adams.

The family appreciates your thoughts, prayers, and support during this difficult time.

Online condolences may be shared with the family at www.jerniganwarren.com

Funeral arrangements are entrusted to Jernigan-Warren Funeral Home, 545 Ramsey Street, Fayetteville, NC 28301.