A Utah soldier died during a routine training mission in Kansas Tuesday.
Salt Lake native Pfc. Philip Marc Christensen died when his armored personnel carrier overturned at an Army post near Fort Riley. One other soldier died, and five were injured, post spokeswoman Sam Robinson said.
Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. ordered the flags on all government properties to be lowered to half staff to honor Christensen and another fallen Utah soldier, Staff Sgt. Patrick Pentico, who died March 31 in a plane crash in Albania.
"We need to pay tribute to and thank these soldiers and the thousands of other soldiers who are serving our country to preserve the freedoms we enjoy," Huntsman said.
Christensen and his crew were on a 48-hour training mission Tuesday when their armored vehicle rolled on an assault course. All seven soldiers were inside, Robinson said. The soldiers served in Company A of the 1st Engineer Battalion of the 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division.
Army officials are still investigating the accident to determine how the vehicle rolled.
Two Army officers informed Christensen's family about the accident at about 9:30 p.m. Tuesday night.
Christensen returned in October from a year of duty in Iraq and was back in the states training when the accident occurred.
Christensen was on notice for possible redeployment to Iraq later this year or in early 2006, Robinson said.
Christensen joined the Army shortly after graduating from Brighton High School. It was something he always wanted to do, his mother, Jan Moncur, said.
A memorial service is scheduled for 10 a.m. Thursday at Ft. Riley.
Christensen is the second Utah soldier to die in a training mission during the past month.
Staff Sgt. Patrick "Tico" Pentico died March 31 during a joint training mission with the Albanian military. In total, nine Americans died when the C-130 crashed into Albania's Drizez Mountains.
Pentico grew up in Hanksville, Wayne County, and graduated from Wayne High School in 1991.
E-mail: ldethman@desnews.com