Granite City soldier’s death to be investigated

A soldier’s death is being investigated after it occurred in a non-combat-related incident on Friday in Kandahar, Afghanistan.

Staff Sgt. Christopher Wilbur was from Granite City.

“He was very loving to his family and his kids,” Richard Wilbur, his father, told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “He tried his best to provide for his family. He loved the military.”

Wilbur belonged to the 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, which is stationed in Fort Carson, Colo. His deployment to Afghanistan was his fourth tour. He had one earlier tour in Afghanistan and two in Iraq since late 2005.

“It is always hard to lose a part of our military family,” Fort Carson officials wrote in a statement. “Our thoughts and prayers are with Staff Sgt. Christopher Wilbur’s family and friends during this very difficult time.”

Wilbur spent over 11 years in the Army, and he was a 1998 graduate of Granite City High School.

“Anytime you lose a service member, someone who is serving our country, that’s something that touches all of us,” principal Daren DePew said.

This story was originally published August 15, 2016 at 3:30 PM with the headline "Granite City soldier’s death to be investigated."