Washington National Guard soldier killed in Iraq in 'non-combat incident'

WASHINGTON, May 8 (UPI) -- 1st Lt. David Bauders, an officer with the Washington National Guard who was serving in Iraq, was killed Friday at Al Asad Air Base.

The Department of Defense confirmed the death and victim's identity on Sunday. The Pentagon said Bauders died in "a non-combat related incident."

DoD officials declined to release any details about the incident.

Bauders, from Seattle, and the 176th Engineer Company, based out of Snohomish, Wash., was deployed on March 30 in support of Operation Inherent Resolve -- the name of American military intervention against the Islamic State. The company was mostly tasked with maintenance of buildings and infrastructure.

"As a guard unit, most of us have a lot of construction experience on the civilian side that we bring to the table," Sgt. 1st Class Omar Trujillo told The Daily Herald prior to his company's deployment. "So that's why we're very good at construction missions -- better than most active Army units, I'd wager."

According to Patch, Bauders -- a native of Seattle -- was a member of Saint Alphonsus Parish.

Al Asad Air Base, where Bauders was stationed, was the United States' largest and most active base during the Iraq War. It is now the main base for America's fight against the Islamic State.