A 26-year-old member of the U.S. Air Force from Anaheim died Saturday, Sept. 12, in a single-vehicle crash while on patrol in Kuwait, military officials said Sunday.
Senior Airman Jason Khai Phan died in a “single-vehicle non-combat related accident” near the Ali Al Salem Air Base, Department of Defense officials said in a news release. The crash left two other soldiers injured, but they were expected to recover. The cause of the crash was under investigation.
Phan was supporting efforts to combat Islamic State as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, military officials said. He was deployed to Kuwait in July to assist security operations.
“His tireless commitment to master his craft made him a credible and reliable teammate in critical situations,” the commander of Phan’s squadron, Maj. Shane Watts, said in a statement. “But it was his genuine enthusiasm and selfless devotion to others that defined the depth of his character and inspiration to his peers and leaders.”
The Anaheim native began serving the 66th Security Forces Squadron at Hanscom Air force Base in Massachusetts in October of 2018. He took part in the 24-Hour End of Watch Memorial Run, an event held by his squadron in May during National Police Week, just before departing overseas.
His duties while on base included first aid and police work, military officials said He was recently approved to become a military working dog handler, and was supposed to attend training courses in Texas after returning from deployment.
Phan’s remains will be flown back to the U.S. He was unmarried and had no children.