A soldier supporting Operation Inherent Resolve died this week in a non-combat related incident, the Department of Defense announced Tuesday.
Sgt. Christina Marie Schoenecker of Arlington, Kansas, died Monday in Baghdad, Iraq.
The 26-year-old was an Army Reserve soldier assigned to the 89th Sustainment Brigade, out of Wichita, Kansas.
The incident is under investigation, which is typical for non-combat deaths.
According to her service verification documents, provided to Military Times by her command, Schoenecker enlisted in May 2009 and served as a human resources specialist. She made the rank of sergeant in January 2015.
"We express our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Sgt. Christina Marie Schoenecker,” Frankie Murphy, the command executive officer for the 451st Expeditionary Sustainment Command, said in an accompanying statement.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with them as they mourn the loss of a loved one. We've lost a valuable member of our team, and she will be sorely missed," Murphy added.
Schoenecker‘s assignment to Iraq in support of Operation Inherent Resolve was her first deployment, according to the documents. She had been in-country since June.
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She was a recipient of the Army Achievement Medal with one oak leaf cluster, the Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters, the Army Service Ribbon, and the National Defense Service Medal.
The 89th Sustainment Brigade has a logistical mission to provide support to combat and combat support forces deployed in support of contingency operations within the designated combatant commander’s area of responsibility, according to the unit’s website.
The brigade falls under the 451st Expeditionary Sustainment Command.
Schoenecker‘s death is the third casualty of the year for the Inherent Resolve mission. Another American service member supporting the mission died Jan. 8, and a soldier from the United Kingdom died Jan. 31, both of which were also non-combat related incidents, according to DoD announcements.
Kyle Rempfer was an editor and reporter who has covered combat operations, criminal cases, foreign military assistance and training accidents. Before entering journalism, Kyle served in U.S. Air Force Special Tactics and deployed in 2014 to Paktika Province, Afghanistan, and Baghdad, Iraq.
