Pfc. Alexander Blake Klass, 20, died in Kosovo in a non combat related incident

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Joint Guardian.

Pfc. Alexander Blake Klass, 20, from Willamina, Oregon, died as the result of a non-combat related incident, July 4, 2020, at Camp Novo Selo, Kosovo. The incident is under investigation.

Klass was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 162nd Infantry Regiment, 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Oregon National Guard, Springfield, Oregon. 

The Kosovo Force, or KFOR, mission has existed since 1999. Set up after the end of NATO’s 78-day air campaign, which aimed to push Yugoslavian forces out of Kosovo, KFOR includes nearly 4,000 troops from 28 countries. KFOR is deployed in the Balkans to maintain a safe and secure environment, freedom of movement for people in Kosovo and to facilitate the Euro-Atlantic integration of the Western Balkans. The United Nations, the European Union and other international actors continue to support the development of a stable, democratic, multi-ethnic and peaceful Kosovo.

To this end, the transition from a combat environment to a peacekeeping role requires an approach that emphasizes the integration of forces with the local populace.

For more information regarding Pfc. Alexander Blake Klass, media may contact Maj. Stephen S. Bomar, Oregon Military Department Public Affairs at stephen.s.bomar.mil@mail.mil;