North Carolina

Pentagon Identifies Marine Killed in Iraq

Gunnery Sgt. Scott A. Koppenhafer, 35, was killed Saturday by enemy small arms fire in Ninewah Province

A military service member killed in combat in Iraq over the weekend was identified Sunday as a U.S. Marine from Colorado, authorities said.

Gunnery Sgt. Scott A. Koppenhafer, 35, was killed Saturday by enemy small arms fire in Ninewah Province while he was advising an Iraqi Security Force mission, the Pentagon said in a statement.

Koppenhafer’s death was still being investigated, and more details were unavailable, the Pentagon said.

Koppenhafer, of Mancos, west of Durango, was assigned to the Marine Forces Special Operations Command in Camp LeJeune, North Carolina, NBC News reports. His death comes days after the release of a Pentagon watchdog report that described a resurgent Islamic State terror group in Iraq and Syria — and U.S.-backed forces struggling to contain it.

Contact Us