Chief Warrant Officer James B. Wilke, 38, of Ione, died Monday from injuries sustained in a noncombat incident in Doha, Qatar, the Department of Defense said in a statement released Wednesday. He was participating in Operation New Dawn, the mission to stabilize the Iraqi government.
Wilke was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 43rd Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 11th Air Defense Artillery Brigade, 32nd Army Air and Missile Defense Command in Fort Bliss, Texas.
Wilke is the 33rd service member with ties to this area who has died in the War on Terror. He is survived by his wife and mother. Multiple attempts at contacting Wilke’s wife Wednesday afternoon were unsuccessful.
He is the 4,478th U.S. soldier killed in Iraq.
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