Lewis-McChord Soldier, 20, Killed In Training Accident

A 20-year-old soldier assigned to Joint Base Lewis-McChord was killed in a training accident at Yakima Training Center in Washington on Monday.

Pfc. Joseph Marquez, a native of Dover, Delaware, was killed in a vehicle accident on April 25 that also injured two others, according to a release from the 7th Infantry Division. Marquez was a motor transport operator in the division’s 2-2 Stryker Brigade Combat Team at JBLM, Washington. The base is about a three-hour drive from the sprawling training range.

Spc. Noland Motes of the 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 7th Infantry Division conducts M240 machine gun training with members of the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force during training in 2021 at Yakima Training Center, Wa. The Lewis-McChord soldier killed Monday was assigned to the 2nd Stryker Brigade. Army photo.

“We are deeply saddened by the loss of Pfc. Marquez,” said Lt. Col. Michael Filanowski, commander of 8th Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment, in a press release. “Blackhawk Squadron sends its deepest condolences to his family and loved ones. Our prayers and thoughts are with them during this difficult time.”

The 7th ID includes two Stryker brigade combat teams, one national guard Stryker brigade and a combat aviation brigade. A Stryker brigade combat team is composed of about 3,600 soldiers.

The Army said the cause of the accident is under investigation.

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Matt White

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Matt White is the Military Editor for Coffee or Die. He was a Pararescueman in the Air Force and the Alaska Air National Guard for eight years, and has over a decade of experience in daily and magazine journalism. He also teaches journalism at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Know a story about any aspect of the US military that Coffee Or Die readers need to know? Email him.

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