Another Non-combat death

Helena soldier killed in Iraq
By MARTIN J. KIDSTON - Independent Record - 12/16/07
A 19-year-old soldier from Helena died in Iraq on Thursday of non-combat related injuries, the Department of Defense announced Saturday night.

Pvt. Daren Smith became the sixth soldier or Marine from Helena to die in the Iraq war since it began more than four years ago.

Capt. Michael MacKinnon was killed on Oct. 27, 2005; Cpl. Phillip Baucus on July 29, 2006; and Sgt. Scott Dykman on Dec. 20, 2006.

Three additional Helena men have died this year including Staff Sgt. Shane Becker on April 3, 2007; Spec. Donald Young on Aug. 8, 2007; and Smith on Thursday.

To date, 22 Montana men have died in Iraq dating back to Dec. 22, 2003, when 1st Lt. Edward Saltz was killed by a roadside bomb.

The DOD has not released any additional information regarding Smith’s death, but said the incident is still under investigation.
http://www.helenair.com/articles/2007/12/16/helena/a03121607_01.txt


UPDATE
8/13/08

Montana Discovers Local Soldier's Suicide in Iraq -- Files for Documents



Published: August 13, 2008 12:25 PMET

HELENA, MT. A U.S. Army investigation has determined the December 2007 death of a 19-year-old Montana soldier was a suicide.

Jeffrey Castro, a spokesman for the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command, told the Independent Record on Tuesday that Pvt. Daren Smith died Dec. 13, 2007, of self-inflicted wounds. [As often the case, this information only became public due to the queries of a local newspapper.]

Castro declined further comment, prompting the newspaper to file a Freedom of Information Act request for details about the soldier’s death. Attempts to reach Smith’s family Tuesday were unsuccessful.

Records show that Smith, who was born in Butte and grew up in Helena, joined the Army in March 2007. He was deployed to Iraq around Nov. 30, where he was a cavalry scout with the 10th Mountain Division.
http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003838442