Pentagon Identifies Army Casualty (OIF)

News in Balance:

WASHINGTON, Sept. 21, 2009 -- The following news release made available Monday by the U.S. Department of Defense is the text of a statement identifying a casualty:

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Spc. Michael S. Cote Jr., 20, of Denham Springs, La., died Sept. 19 in Balad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when the Black Hawk helicopter he was in crashed. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 52nd Aviation Regiment, Task Force 49, Fort Wainwright, Alaska.

The circumstances surrounding the incident are under investigation.

(Report from a U.S. Defense Department news release.)