A Richmond Hill soldier deployed from Fort Stewart has been killed in Afghanistan.
The 3rd Infantry Division on Monday confirmed the death of Maj. Paul C. Voelke, who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Voelke, 36, died Friday in Mazar E. Sharif, Afghanistan from non-combat related injuries. He was assigned to 1-30th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team and deployed in February for a nine-month deployment.
The incident is under investigation and additional details have not yet been released by the U.S. Department of Defense. However, 1st Battalion 30th Infantry Regiment’s Facebook page states Voelke was “struck by a Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle.”
Voelke, an infantryman, has been in the Army for 14 years and is survived by his wife and two children. He was originally from Monroe, N.Y.
This was Voelke’s second deployment to Afghanistan. He had two previous deployments to Iraq. Voelke has been awarded the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart and Afghanistan Campaign Medal.
The division’s commander said the entire division expresses condolences to Voelke’s family. Chaplain support and family assistance have been extended to the soldier’s family during this time.