The Department of Defense released the name of a soldier on Monday who died on July 4 at Camp Novo Selo, in Kosovo.
Pfc. Alexander Blake Klass, 20, from Willamina, Oregon, died in a non-combat incident, the Pentagon stated in a press release.
The incident is under investigation, the release added, and no other information was provided.
Klass was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 162nd Infantry Regiment, 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team. The unit is part of the Oregon National Guard and is based out of Springfield, Oregon.
Klass joined the Oregon Army National Guard on Jan. 19, 2019, as an infantryman. He mobilized in January 2020 and was scheduled to return home from Kosovo in November.
“This is a tragic situation and our primary focus is supporting the family during this difficult time,” said Oregon Army National Guard Brig. Gen. William J. Prendergast IV in a prepared statement.
Klass died while supporting Operation Joint Guardian, also known as Kosovo Force, or KFOR. The mission is a NATO peacekeeping force in the country that has been there since 1999.
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.
