An Army reservist was killed Friday in Syria when his vehicle had a rollover accident, officials announced Saturday.
Spc. Antonio I. Moore, 22, from Wilmington, N.C., died in the accident in Deir ez Zor province, in central-Eastern Syria, while conducting route-clearing operations, according to a Pentagon release.
The incident is now under investigation.
About 500 U.S. troops remain in Syria following orders to pull the bulk of forces out of the country in November. Most are located in the Deir ez Zor region and tasked in part with guarding oil fields there.
Moore was attached to 363rd Engineer Battalion, 411th Engineer Brigade, out of Knightdale, N.C.
The Reserve unit is fairly new, having activated in December 2015, and includes roughly 100 service members.
According to information provided by 412th Theater Engineer Command, Moore had been on his first combat deployment. He enlisted in 2017 as a combat engineer.
"The 363rd Engineer Battalion is deeply saddened at the loss of Spec. Antonio Moore," Lt. Col. Ian Doiron, 363rd Engineer Battalion commander, said in a statement. "Antonio was one of the best in our formation. He will be missed by all who served with him. We will now focus on supporting his family and honoring his legacy and sacrifice."
Moore is survived by his mother and stepfather as well as a sister and three brothers.
-- Hope Hodge Seck can be reached at hope.seck@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @HopeSeck.
