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.”
Air Force Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr., chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, held meetings with defense leaders from the Philippines, Japan, and South Korea during a trip to the Indo-Pacific this week.