Overview
- A training-related incident at Erbil Air Base on May 31 killed Sgt. Devin A. Seibel, 26, of Fort Carson and Lance Cpl. James Stewart Freeman, 29, of the Royal Anglian Regiment.
- U.S. Army Central, the Pentagon and the U.K. Ministry of Defence have opened inquiries into the incident and are withholding detailed cause information pending family notifications and investigative findings.
- Sgt. Seibel was assigned to the Air Ambulance Company, 2nd Battalion, 4th Combat Aviation Brigade at Fort Carson and was deployed in support of Operation Inherent Resolve, the multinational campaign against ISIS.
- Reports that Iranian-linked strikes hit the Kurdish region and the air base on the same day have increased scrutiny of coalition force protection and raised questions about training risks in northern Iraq.
- The deaths will directly affect the soldiers' families and their units and are likely to prompt safety and force-posture reviews for coalition training in the region as investigators continue their work.