A Navy Reserve Commander found dead in his room in Qatar was a longtime pilot and father of five, according to media reports.

Cmdr. Christopher E. Kalafut, 49, of Acworth, died Friday in a non-combat related incident at Al Udeid Air Base, the U.S. Department of Defense said. Kalafut’s death is under investigation, which is protocol for on-base deaths.

Kalafut worked as a pilot for Delta Air Lines and was deployed in July, his father told Stars and Stripes, a newspaper serving the military. He had planned to retire after his latest assignment.

Kalafut is survived by his wife, Mary, and five children ranging in age from 12 to 21.

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Fulton DA Fani Willis (center) with Nathan J. Wade (right), the special prosecutor she hired to manage the Trump case and had a romantic relationship with, at a news conference announcing charges against President-elect Donald Trump and others in Atlanta, Aug. 14, 2023. Georgia’s Supreme Court on Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025, upheld an appeals court's decision to disqualify Willis from the election interference case against Trump and his allies. (Kenny Holston/New York Times)

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