A soldier assigned to 2nd Battalion, 1st Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 35th Air Defense Artillery Brigade takes part in the Freedom Shield exercise in South Korea, March 19, 2023. (Josephus Tudtud/U.S. Army)
CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea — A command sergeant major who died last month in South Korea is being remembered as a “loyal friend” and a “second father.”
Command Sgt. Maj. Jeremy Sims, who served as the senior enlisted soldier for the 35th Air Defense Artillery Brigade’s operations department for nearly two years, was discovered dead in his home May 20, brigade spokeswoman Capt. Courtney Johnson said in a statement emailed Monday.
The death is under investigation; however, foul play is not suspected, she said.
Brigade commander Col. Kevin Stonerook described Sims as “a steadfast leader, dedicated soldier, and loyal friend.”
“He mentored countless junior [noncommissioned officers] and soldiers, and his presence will be profoundly missed by everyone in this unit,” Stonerook said in the statement. Sims was a “second father to me during our time together,” said Cpl. Jae Loux.
“Witnessing him impact lives both professionally and personally exemplified how great senior leaders can influence young soldiers and NCOs through actions rather than words,” he said in the statement. “His work and life stand as a testament to his mentors, peers, and the future path forward.”
Sims is survived by his wife, Harmony Sims, and three children, military news website Task and Purpose reported Wednesday.
He served more than 19 years, including deployments in support of Operation Joint Forge in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, according
to an article he authored in April 2023 for Military History Online. He held a bachelor’s in management from Colorado University and certificates from the Graduate School of Management at Vanderbilt University.
The artillery brigade reports to Eighth Army and is based at Osan Air Base, about 30 miles south of Seoul. It maintains Patriot surface-to-air missiles and the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD, system.
