An Alaska Army National Guard soldier dip-netting for salmon in the Copper River near O’Brien Creek, south of Chitina, drowned on June 9 when he was swept away by the water current.
Sgt. 1st Class Russell Anthony Hepler, 35, had been dip-netting with his wife, Shandra Hepler, when the incident occurred, carrying him downstream., National Guard officials said.
His body was found by individuals who were fishing from a boat, who recovered him and contacted Alaska State Troopers.
Hepler joined the Alaska Army National Guard in 2007. He was a full-time soldier in the 49th Missile Defense Battalion’s Military Police Company at Fort Greely, where he was assigned from 2007 to 2014 and again in 2017. He also served in the Alaska Army National Guard as the readiness non-commissioned officer in Ketchikan from 2014 to 2017.
Prior to joining the Alaska Army National Guard, Hepler was in the Florida Army National Guard from 2001 to 2004 and deployed to Iraq in 2003 for a year in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. He also served in the New York Army National Guard from 2004 to 2007.
Hepler and his wife have three children.
Memorial services were scheduled for June 11 at the Fort Greely chapel.
