Pentagon announces deaths of two soldiers in Kuwait and Iraq
The cases were unrelated and took place under "non-combat" circumstances.
Pentagon building/ Daniel Slim
The Pentagon announced the deaths of two soldiers who lost their lives in non-combat-related incidents in Kuwait and Iraq. They are Sgt. 1st Class Emmett Wilfred Goodridge Jr.(40) and Sgt. Saul Fabian Gonzalez(26). The Department of Defense (DOD) said both cases are under investigation.
Goodgride Jr. was deployed to Camp Buehring, where he was participating in Operation Inherent Resolve. It was aimed at countering the Islamic State (ISIS) force in the region, as well as training and enabling partner forces to achieve that end.
"He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, New York," the Pentagon said.
Gonzalez, a Michigan native, was participating in the same operation but in Erbil, Iraq. "He was assigned to Troop D, 2nd Squadron, 101st Combat Aviation Brigade, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Kentucky," officials added.
The Aaron Cox case
"The loss of Sgt. Cox is a tragedy for all of us in Strike Team. He was a strong soldier and leader who rose quickly through the ranks," said Col. Duke Reim, commander of the 2nd MBCT of the 101st Airborne Division.
At the time of the accident, the unit was preparing for Exercise Saber Guardian 25 in Hungary, which aims to improve the NATO land component's mission command. It is a series of exercises designed to improve service members' skills, including river crossings, tactical marches and rocket fire over the Black Sea.
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