Yakima soldier dies in Afghanistan

JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. -- A Joint Base Lewis-McChord soldier from Yakima has died in Afghanistan, according to the Department of Defense.

The department says 21-year-old Pfc. James L. Miller died Monday of wounds from a roadside bomb.

He was assigned to the 5th Stryker brigade.

Miller becomes the 11th soldier or Marine with ties to the Yakima Valley to die in the United States’ current Middle East campaigns. He is the first to die in Afghanistan.

The last casualty with local ties was Army Spc. Matt Emerson, 20, of Grandview. He was killed in September 2007 when he was thrown from his vehicle during an evening patrol in Mosul.

The three Stryker brigades assigned to Lewis-McChord all trained at the Yakima Training Center prior to being deployed to the Middle East in July 2009.

Miller’s brigade was last at the training center in April 2009, according to James Reddick, spokesman for the training center, which is part of the Lewis-McChord complex, near Tacoma.

Miller, who was on his first deployment, joined the unit in May prior to deployment, according to the base.

Miller's awards and decorations include the National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, NATO Medal and Combat Infantryman Badge.