Fort Irwin soldier killed in Kuwait
Ramirez received medal for rescuing fellow soldiers during deployment
This is an updated version of a story posted earlier on Friday.
A Fort Irwin soldier died Wednesday in a vehicle accident outside his camp in Kuwait.
Sgt. Guadalupe Cervantes Ramirez, 26, was deployed with the 2nd Heavy Equipment Transportation Company, part of the National Training Center Support Brigade at Fort Irwin, according to a Department of Defense report. Ramirez was stationed at Camp Arifjan in the south east Kuwait near the Persian Gulf.
The military has not released details about his death.
“All we know is that he died in non-hostile action in a motor vehicle accident,” said John Wagstaffe, spokesman for Fort Irwin.
Another soldier was in the vehicle with Ramirez and received slight injuries, Wagstaffe said. That soldier returned to duty shortly after the incident.
Ramirez’s wife, Amber, lives in Mohave Valley, Ariz., with his two children, Amy, 7, and Guadalupe, 4, Wagstaffe said.
The 2nd HET left Fort Irwin on May 8, 2007 for what is their third tour of Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Based in Kuwait, the 145 soldiers of the Fort Irwin company shuttle supplies in and out of Iraq and between American posts within the country, according to previous reports.
While deployed, Ramirez received an Army commendation medal with valor for saving the lives of fellow soldiers. Wagstaffe said that while in a convoy, Ramirez became slightly injured and still went to the rear of the convoy to help rescue soldiers.
A memorial service will be held for Ramirez in Kuwait on Sunday. Fort Irwin will also have a service at a later date.
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(760) 256-4121 or aaron_aupperlee@link.freedom.com
