Army Identifies Soldier Who Died During Kosovo Deployment

The Army has identified a soldier who died while supporting an ongoing NATO mission in Kosovo.

Staff Sgt. Conrad Robinson, 36, of Los Angeles, died at Camp Bondsteel in Kosovo in what officials say was a "non-combat related incident."

Officials said in a Pentagon press release that the incident remains under investigation.

According to the release, Robinson belonged to the 155th Medical Detachment, 261st Medical Battalion, 44th Medical Brigade, out of Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

He was a preventative medicine specialist, Army spokesman Maj. Ellis Gales Jr. told Military.com.

Among Robinson's awards were five Army Commendation Medals and six Army Achievement Medals, Gales said.

"We're extremely saddened by the death of Staff Sgt. Conrad Robinson," Lt. Col. Kevin Kelly, commander of the 261st Medical Battalion, 44th Medical Brigade, said in a statement. "Staff Sgt. Robinson was known around the battalion for his infectious smile, humor and kind heart. He was the definition of selfless service and took the time every day to listen and mentor Soldiers. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends during this difficult time."

This is the second time this year that a soldier has died while deployed to Kosovo. In January, Spc. Robert Jones, a military dog handler, died at Camp Bondsteel under unspecified circumstances.

Operation Joint Guardian, the NATO mission in Kosovo, began in 1999 amid a humanitarian crisis in the Balkan nation. Though the number of troops who support the peacekeeping mission each year has been steeply reduced, several hundred U.S. soldiers still contribute to the mission.

-- Hope Hodge Seck can be reached at hope.seck@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @HopeSeck.