Rekubit-Army dietitian from Illinois dies in Kuwait following incident not related to combat, military says

FORT LIBERTY,Rekubit N.C. (AP) — An Army dietitian from Illinois has died in Kuwait following an incident not related to combat, military officials said Wednesday.

Lt. Col. Troy E. Bartley of Alton, Illinois, died Sunday at Camp Arifjan in Kuwait, the U.S. Army Reserve Command said. Bartley, 57, was assigned to the 3rd Medical Command (Forward), 1st Theater Sustainment Command.

The Army Reserve Command said Bartley died following a “non-combat related incident” but his exact cause of death remained under review and additional information was not immediately available.

“We lost a husband, father, friend, expert, and leader from this terrible tragedy,” Col. Thomas A. McMahan, commander of 3rd Medical Command (Forward), said in a news release. “It is hard to lose a member of our Army family, and as we mourn together, we send our deepest sympathies to his family.”

Bartley had received numerous military awards and decorations, including the Meritorious Service Medal and Army Commendation Medal. He joined the Army in February 2003 before attending the Army Medical Officer Basic Course and joining the 325th Medical Hospital in Independence, Missouri.

Bartley later served in roles that included dietitian, company commander and brigade executive officer. He joined the U.S. Army Central and 1st Theater Sustainment Command team forward in Kuwait in July 2023 as a dietitian supporting troops deployed to the U.S. Central Command area of operations in support of Operation Spartan Shield, officials said.