An Army officer was killed in a non-combat incident in Afghanistan over the weekend, the Defense Department announced Monday.
1st Lt. Joseph Trent Allbaugh died Sunday in Kandahar province. He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 44th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 108th ADA Brigade, out of Fort Campbell, Kentucky.
The 24-year-old officer’s death is under investigation, according to a DoD press release.
Allbaugh, who was born and raised in Folsom, California, attended Vanguard University of Southern California and graduated in 2018 with a degree in psychology. He then commissioned through the Reserve Officer Training Corps as an air defense artillery officer.
Allbaugh was assigned to Fort Campbell in February 2019. He was serving as an engagement operations cell battle captain in Kandahar at the time of his death.
“The loss of 1st Lt. Joseph Allbaugh is devastating for everyone,” said Col. Charles Matallana, Allbaugh’s brigade commander. “On behalf of the 108th ADA Brigade, I want to extend our deepest condolences. Our thoughts are with his family, friends and fellow Soldiers. We are with them during this incredibly painful time.”
Allbaugh is survived by his wife, Ashley, who is also from California.
There have been four Americans killed in action and 12 wounded in action in 2020. However, there have been no U.S. combat deaths in Afghanistan since February.
Non-combat deaths, of which there have been six this year, have continued. Allbaugh’s death follows that of Spc. Vincent S. Ibarria, 21, who died July 3 in Farah province in a vehicle rollover. That incident is also under investigation.
Ibarria was assigned to 1st Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, out of Fort Drum, New York.
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.
