The Pentagon announced Sept. 21 that SrA. Matthew R. Courtois, 22, of Lucas, Tex., died Sept. 20 in a non-hostile incident on Abdullah Al Mubarak Air Base in Kuwait. He had deployed from the 366th Security Forces Squadron at Mountain Home AFB, Idaho, to support operations in Iraq. The release further stated, “The circumstances surrounding the incident are under investigation.”
The U.S. supports “a stronger and more capable” European defense, Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III said during an Oct. 22 press conference in Brussels—but that defense should not duplicate the functions and capabilities of the NATO alliance.