Soldiers with the 76th Infantry Brigade Combat Team salute the U.S. flag during their departure ceremony at Camp Atterbury on Friday, Sept. 30, 2022. An Indianapolis guardsman died last week while deployed to Iraq.
(Sgt. Jonah Alvarez, Indiana National Guard)
A Hoosier deployed to Iraq as part of Operation Inherent Resolve with the Indiana National Guard died last week, as confirmed by the Department of Defense. Capt. Eric Richard Hart, of Indianapolis, was 34.
“The Indiana National Guard extends our heartfelt and sincerest condolences to the family and friends of Capt. Eric Hart who died in a noncombat incident while overseas serving with the 38th Infantry Division in support of Operation Inherent Resolve. Our thoughts are with them and the soldiers who worked and served alongside Capt. Hart. He was an integral part of our team and the Cyclone Division team as well. He will be missed. His death is under investigation, there is no additional information available at this time,” the Indiana National Guard said in a release.
Hart died on Dec. 28 as a result of a “noncombat related incident,” according to the brief release. He was assigned to the Headquarters & Headquarters Battalion, 38th Infantry Division based out of Indianapolis.
Operation Inherent Resolve is part of a joint task force effort aiming to defeat the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, or ISIS, “in order to enable whole-of-coalition governmental actions to increase regional stability,” according to theDepartment of Defense’s website.
Indiana National Guard Master Sgt. Jeff Lowry said there are about 70 troops supporting Operation Inherent Resolve, and they are part of the 600 assigned to a separate operation of Spartan Shield. Additionally, another 150 Hoosier Guardsmen from a maintenance company deployed earlier this summer, and prior to 38th division soldiers, also support Spartan Shield.
The guard’s current leader, Maj. Gen. R. Dale Lyles,will retirefrom that leadership role in January. Gov.-elect Mike Braun appointed Brig. Gen. Lawrence “Larry” Muennich to succeed Lyles as Indiana’s Adjutant General. Muennich is currently the guard’s assistant adjutant general, according to his guardbiography.
This story was updated with more information on the deployment.
