ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Pentagon on Wednesday announced the death of a soldier in a non-combat related incident in Erbil earlier this week, adding that they are investigating the incident. “Staff Sgt. Saul Fabian Gonzalez, 26, of Pullman, Michigan, died June 17, 2025, in Erbil, Iraq, as a result of a non-combat related incident. The incident is under investigation,” the Department of Defense said in a statement. It added that he was assigned to D Troop, 2nd Squadron, 101st Combat Aviation Brigade, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Kentucky. Kurdistan Region’s authorities have not commented on the incident. The US has a significant military presence in the Kurdistan Region in the framework of the global coalition against the Islamic State. The Pentagon has helped Kurdish Peshmerga in the fight against the extremist group. It has also provided financial aid and training to Peshmerga.
