- The Army identified Staff Sgt. Diobanjo Sanagustin, 32, as the solider who died Tuesday in a non-combat incident in Afghanistan
- Staff Sgt. Sanagustin is the seventh U.S. troop to die this year in Afghanistan
- The Army is still investigating the unspecified incident that led to his death
The Army has identified a staff sergeant killed Tuesday in a non-combat incident in Afghanistan.
Staff Sgt. Diobanjo Sanagustin, 32, died in the unspecified incident at Bagram Airfield, a massive military aviation hub north of Afghanistan's capital, Kabul.
The incident is under investigation, officials said.
Sanagustin, originally from National City, California, was an infantryman assigned to 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, out of Fort Carson, Colorado.
Fort Carson officials said Sanagustin enlisted in May 2007 and arrived at his current post in January of this year. He deployed to Afghanistan in May; he had previously deployed once each to Kuwait and Iraq.
His awards include two Army Commendation Medals and seven Army Achievement Medals, officials said.
"Staff Sgt. Diobanjo Sanagustin served as a Squad Leader in Bravo Company, 4th Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment during Operation Freedom's Sentinel," Lt. Col. David Uthlaut, commander of 4th Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, said in a statement. "He made a lasting impact on the Manchu formation and we will forever cherish his memory. Our deepest condolences are with the Sanagustin family."
Sanagustin's death came a day after another soldier, Command Sgt. Maj. Timothy Bolyard, was killed in an apparent insider attack in Afghanistan in eastern Logar province, to the south of Kabul. Bolyard was the senior enlisted soldier in 1st Security Force Assistance Brigade out of Fort Benning, Georgia, a new element created by the Army to advise Afghan troops in their fight against the Taliban.
The deaths come the same week Army Gen. Scott Miller took over as the 17th commander of all U.S. operations in Afghanistan, succeeding Gen. John Nicholson to the post.
To date this year in Afghanistan, seven U.S. troops have died in hostile or combat circumstances, according to Pentagon records. Sanagustin is the first service member to die under non-hostile circumstances in Afghanistan this year.
-- Hope Hodge Seck can be reached at hope.seck@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @HopeSeck.
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