A U.S. soldier stationed at Camp Humphreys in South Korea died in a military vehicle accident at Rodriguez Live Fire Complex this week.
Staff Sgt. James L. Wento, a wheeled vehicle mechanic assigned to the 2nd Combat Aviation Brigade, was conducting a unit-training event on Jan. 5 when the vehicle he was driving rolled over, the 2nd Infantry Division/ROK-US Combined Division said Jan. 8. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Wento, 34, had been assigned to the 2nd Combat Aviation Brigade since May 2019. The Massachusetts’ native first joined the Army in 2009 and underwent training at Ft. Sill in Oklahoma and Ft. Jackson in South Carolina. He previously served two combat deployments to Afghanistan, along with a tour at Fort Bliss in Texas.
Among his awards and decorations are the Army Combat Action Badge, and the Army Commendation Medal with two bronze oak leaf clusters.
An investigation is underway examining the accident that took his life, the Army said.
“SSG Wento was an extraordinary Soldier, leader, and father,” Lt. Col. Bridget Dalziel, Wento’s battalion commander, said in a news release. “He was an important member of the 2-2 Assault Helicopter Battalion family and will be sincerely missed.”
There are approximately 28,500 U.S. military personnel stationed in South Korea.
