Another 1st Infantry Division soldier was found dead at Fort Riley Saturday, according to a press release from the Army post late Monday night. This is the 10th non-combat death of a Fort Riley soldier since June and ninth since August.
Sgt. 1st Class George Bible III, a platoon sergeant and Black Hawk helicopter repairer with Company D, 3rd Assault Helicopter Battalion, 1st Aviation Regiment, 1st Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Inf. Div., was found unresponsive in his on-post residence by officers from Fort Riley’s 97th Military Police Battalion. He was later pronounced dead by a doctor with Irwin Army Community Hospital.
Preceding Bible, Sgt. 1st Class Jamie Boone, a signal support systems specialist with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, was found deceased in his on-post residence on Oct. 12.
Of the 10 dead since June, Bible is the sixth to be found deceased. Below is a list of the other nine soldiers’ names and nature of their deaths according to press releases from Fort Riley:
- Sgt. 1st Class Jamie Boone, a signal support systems specialist, was found dead in his on-post residence on Oct. 12.
- Spc. Kashyap Bhakta, a combat engineer, was found dead in his car in the Warner-Peterson neighborhood on post on Sept. 21.
- Staff Sgt. Sean Devoy, a Fort Riley medic, was killed in a training accident at Fort Hood on Sept. 12.
- Staff Sgt. Garett Swift, a fire support specialist, was found dead in his Junction City home on Sept. 4. Swift was arrested by the Riley County Police Department on April 19 for desertion under the direction of a Fort Riley warrant.
- Pvt. John Martinez, a cavalry scout, was found unresponsive in his barracks on Aug. 19.
- Spc. Richard Cox, an indirect fire infantryman, suffered a gunshot wound on post and died at Stormont Vail Hospital on Aug. 16.
- Spc. Peter Robbins, a radar operator, was shot and killed by Junction City police officers after failing to drop his handguns outside a Walmart Neighborhood Market on Aug. 8.
- Staff Sgt. Alejandro Franquiz, a section chief, was found dead in his car on I-70 10 miles east of Junction City on July 31. An autopsy revealed he died from a self-inflected gunshot wound.
- Spc. Xavier Harden, a food service specialist, drowned at Milford Lake on June 11.
“We extend our heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Sgt. 1st Class Bible during this difficult time,” stated Lt. Col. John E. Tiedeman in Fort Riley’s press release. “It was an honor to serve by his side. His
absence will be felt throughout the Army aviation community. We will never forget the contributions he made to this battalion, the Army and our nation.”
Bible joined the Army in March 2002 and arrived at Fort Riley in February. He was 36 years old. His home of record is Clarksville, Tennessee.
He deployed to Iraq in 2006 and 2007 and to Afghanistan in 2008, 2011 and 2013.
Bible’s awards included the Air Medal with Valor, Army Commendation Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Medal, NATO Medal, Certificate of Achievement, Combat Action Badge, Senior Aviation Badge, Aviation Badge, Air Assault Badge and Driver and Mechanic With Driver – Wheeled Vehicles.
The incident remains under investigation by the Fort Riley Criminal Investigation Command office.
