Doesn't it sound like there is more to this story?A 19-year-old American infantryman deployed to Jordan died in an Amman hospital Saturday of a gunshot wound, said a spokeswoman for Fort Carson, Colorado, where the soldier was based.
Spc. Adrian M. Perkins of Pine Valley, California, was shot at a Jordanian military base and died at the King Hussein Medical Center, spokeswoman Daneta Johnson said.
No further information about the circumstances of the incident was provided.
“The cause of death is under investigation,” Lt. Col. Steve Wollman, a spokesman for U.S. Central Command, said in a statement.
In a news release, the Pentagon described Perkins’ injuries as “noncombat-related” and said he was in Jordan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led war in Afghanistan.
Jordan has more than 1,000 military personnel deployed to Afghanistan, according to the International Security Assistance Force, the top NATO command in Afghanistan.
At the same time, roughly 1,000 U.S. personnel are stationed in Jordan “to support our mutual objectives, develop capacity, and provide military assistance to the Jordanian armed forces,” Wollman said.
Perkins, who entered the Army in August 2012 as an infantryman, deployed to Jordan in October as a member of Fort Carson’s 1st Battalion, 67th Armor Regiment, 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division. His awards include the Army Achievement Medal and decorations related to his service in the Army and overseas.
He was killed Saturday. If it was an accident, either self-inflicted or from another soldier, it should be pretty clear by now what happened. If it wasn't an accident, this is not the sort of story that should be buried. (Suicides are also often classified as "death from non-combat related injuries".)
You can be sure of one thing: if a US serviceman was killed in Israel, this would be all over the news. Not to mention accusations of a cover-up over waiting 2-3 days to release the news, and rumors that Israel did it on purpose.