A soldier with the Army’s 7th Special Forces Group died in a training accident in California last week.
Spc. Nicholas Jividen, 21, died at the National Training Center at Fort Irwin on the afternoon of Nov. 6 in an unspecified training accident. The incident is currently under investigation, according to a 7th Group press statement.
Jividen was assigned to Headquarters and Support Company, 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group as a signals intelligence analyst.
“It was an honor having him serve within the ranks of 7th [Group],” Col. Patrick Colloton, the group commander, said in a statement. “He was a part of our family, and will not be forgotten.”
Jividen is survived by his mother, Margaret, brother Daniel and sister Kirsten.
"Our focus now is to provide the best possible care and support for his family, friends and loved ones,” Colloton said.
A native of West Virginia, Jividen joined the Army in 2015, serving in field artillery and military intelligence units before being assigned to 7th Group at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida.
Jividen deployed to Kuwait with 7th Group for six months last year in support of Operation Inherent Resolve, the international coalition’s name for the mission to defeat the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. Jividen’s military education included the signal intelligence analyst course, airborne school and a digital network intelligence course.
His awards and decorations include the Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and Army Service Ribbon.
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Jividen was the second soldier to die in a training accident on the West Coast last week.
Another soldier, 23-year-old Spc. Drew Watters, based out of Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington, was killed Nov. 4 in a training accident on post, Army officials said last week.
Watters served with the 2nd Infantry Division’s 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, according to division spokesman Lt. Col. Roger Cabiness.
Army officials were not able to provide any other details regarding Watters' death either, including the location of the training and cause of death. Watters' death is also under investigation.
Kyle Rempfer was an editor and reporter who has covered combat operations, criminal cases, foreign military assistance and training accidents. Before entering journalism, Kyle served in U.S. Air Force Special Tactics and deployed in 2014 to Paktika Province, Afghanistan, and Baghdad, Iraq.
