A 44-year-old soldier with a Virginia National Guard squadron based in Portsmouth died in Iraq as a result of non-combat-related injuries.

SSG James R. Leep Jr. of Davenport died Monday in Babil Province, a news release from the Virginia National Guard public affairs office said. His death is under investigation.

Leep was assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 183rd Cavalry Regiment, 116th Brigade Combat Team. He was assigned to the Gate City-based 1033rd Engineer Company as a combat engineer and construction equipment supervisor. He was reassigned to Troop A as a truck commander for the unit’s convoy security mission and was commander for a convoy escort team.

His unit will hold a memorial service on Thursday in Iraq.

He is survived by his wife, two adult children and a sister.

Leep first joined the National Guard in April 1986 and served on active duty from December 1987 to August 1995 as a light-wheeled vehicle mechanic, the Virginia National Guard news release said. He rejoined in January 1996 and worked as a combat engineer and construction equipment supervisor. He worked full time as surface maintenance repairer technician for the Virginia National Guard at field maintenance shop #14 in Richlands.

His previous deployments include Bosnia from September 2001 to April 2002, Iraq from December 2003 to March 2005, the southwest U.S. border security mission from June to August 2006, and Afghanistan from November 2008 to January 2010.

More than 825 soldiers from across Virginia were deployed to Iraq this summer as Task Force 183 under the command of the Portsmouth-based 2nd Squadron, 183rd Calvary Regiment. They are conducting convoy security and base defense operations. After training at Camp Atterbury for almost two months, the unit arrived in Iraq at the end of July.

The Portsmouth squadron, which includes units from Norfolk, Suffolk and Virginia Beach, will be joined by two companies of soldiers from Fredericksburg and a third from Christiansburg.

This was the single largest Virginia Army National Guard unit mobilization since Sept. 11, 2001.

SSG Leep was the 4,479th U.S. Fatality in Iraq.