Members of the 8th Security Forces Squadron salute at Kunsan Air Base, South Korea, in May 2022. (Jesenia Landaverde/U.S. Air Force)
An airman was discovered dead at Kunsan Air Base in South Korea on Monday, less than two weeks after the death of a fellow service member assigned to the same unit.
Senior Airman Saniyya Smalls, 25, of the 8th Security Forces Squadron, was found at an unspecified location on Kunsan, roughly 115 miles south of Seoul, the 8th Fighter Wing said in a news release Tuesday.
Smalls’ death is a “tragic loss” and “has deeply impacted our community,” wing commander Col. Peter Kasarskis said in the release.
“Every member of the 8th Fighter Wing is a valued member of the Wolf Pack,” Kasarskis said, referring to the wing’s nickname.
Foul play is not suspected in Smalls’ death, according to the release. The wing did not immediately respond to email and phone requests for more information Wednesday.
The death comes 10 days after Airman Kye Vang, 23, also of the 8th Security Forces Squadron, was found dead in his home on Kunsan.
The wing has not disclosed the circumstances of Vang’s death; however, foul play was not suspected, the wing said in a July 28 news release.
Security force squadrons are the law enforcement arm of the Air Force and are responsible for providing base security.
Roughly 2,800 airmen and 40 F-16 Fighting Falcons are assigned to the 8th Fighter Wing, which participates in numerous air drills with the South Korean air force throughout the year.
