A soldier assigned to a Joint Base Lewis-McChord battalion died Oct. 27 in Afghanistan, the Department of Defense announced Sunday.
Chief Warrant Officer Jacob M. Sims, 36, died from injuries sustained in a helicopter crash in the Logar Province of Afghanistan. Sims was 36, from Juneau Alaska and serving in the 4th Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment based at JBLM.
The incident is under investigation according to a statement released Sunday morning by the Department of Defense.
Sims was born in Oklahoma, enlisted in the Army in 1999 and spent time stationed in North Carolina and Alaska.
In 2014, Sims volunteered to serve in the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment. He served as a fully mission qualified MH-47G pilot-in-command and company aviation safety officer.
Sims, recipients of numerous awards and decorations, was a veteran of missions in Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan.
"On behalf of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment I would like to extend my most sincere condolences to the family of CW2 Jacob Sims," Col. Philip Ryan, regiment commander, said in a statement released Sunday. "Jacob lived by a creed that few understand and even fewer embody. He will not be forgotten and his legacy will endure through his family, friends, and fellow Night Stalkers (regiment nickname). You have our unwavering support, and always have a welcome place among the Night Stalker family."
Congressman Denny Heck issued a statement about Sims on Sunday afternoon: "Chief Warrant Officer Jacob Sims is one of the many incredible servicemembers who come to our area to serve at Joint Base Lewis-McChord and later deploy to lead difficult missions around the world.
"Our thoughts are with his family during this tragic time, and we join them in mourning the loss of their loved one who took to the sky and bravely volunteered on behalf of his country. I thank the members of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment in support of Operation Freedom's Sentinel for what they do every day, and we are thinking of them today as they grieve the loss of their fellow Night Stalker. We hope the other soldiers involved in the accident make a full recovery.
"The mission in Afghanistan may not dominate the headlines, but the dedicated members of our military face challenges and dangers there every day. We must continue to keep the mission and all of them in our thoughts and prayers, and remember the 12 lives lost in Afghanistan this year."
