Members of the 8th Maintenance Squadron stand for a photo at Kunsan Air Base, South Korea, April 5, 2024. (Jovan Banks/U.S. Air Force)
SUWON, South Korea — The 8th Fighter Wing at Kunsan Air Base, 120 miles south of Seoul, reported an airman death Friday, the third in a span of five weeks.
Tech. Sgt. Jacob Venegas of the 8th Maintenance Group was found dead Wednesday in a base dormitory, the wing said in a news release. An investigation is ongoing.
“We are devastated by the loss of Tech. Sgt. Venegas, and we extend our deepest condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew him as they navigate this difficult time,” wing commander Col. Peter Kasarskis said in the release.
The 8th Maintenance Group is tasked with equipping and maintaining 40 F-16 Fighting Falcons and is responsible for 1,100 military personnel. Roughly 2,800 airmen are assigned to the wing.
Venegas’ death marks the third at Kunsan since mid-July. The wing is experiencing a “difficult summer” due to the recent deaths and units are “reinforcing existing support entities to care for our airmen,” Kasarskis said in the release.
Senior Airman Saniyya Smalls, 25, of the 8th Security Forces Squadron, was found dead there on Aug. 5. Nearly two weeks earlier, Airman Basic Kye Vang, 23, of the same squadron, was declared dead at the base.
Foul play was not suspected in those deaths, the wing said at the time.
