Air Force Investigates Deaths of Multiple Airmen Amid Summer Safety Concerns

Units across the Air Force are mourning four Airmen who died in separate incidents this month, including one who collapsed during a physical fitness test and another who local police said died after being shot by a fellow Airman.

The string of fatalities comes toward the end of a period the military calls “101 Critical Days of Summer,” when off-duty mishaps and accidents often peak throughout the services.

Senior Airman John C. Fernandez-Buestan, a radio operations technician assigned to the 374th Communications Squadron at Yokota Air Base, Japan, was found dead Aug. 20 in Shimoda, a popular beach town about 80 miles south of the base. The 23-year-old Airman from Corona, N.Y. had been stationed at Yokota since 2022. His death is under investigation, the base said in a release.

“John was a well-loved and valued member of our unit, and his death has had a devastating effect on the squadron,” Lt. Col. Jesse A. Nelson, the squadron’s commander, said in the release. 

Four days earlier and about 5,800 miles east, Senior Airman Joshua Aragon, assigned to the 790th Missile Security Forces Squadron at F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming, died Aug. 16 in a shooting while off duty at an apartment building in nearby Cheyenne. 

Airman 1st Class Jadan Orr, of the 90th Missile Security Forces Squadron, was arrested the same day by the Cheyenne Police Department and charged with involuntary manslaughter. The department said on Facebook that “Orr and several friends had been drinking alcohol at the apartment for most of the night” before Orr went into a bedroom with two friends.

“At some point, Orr picked up an AK-47 that was in the room,” the police wrote. “While manipulating the firearm, Orr charged it and fired it through the wall into the living room, striking the victim in the torso.”

First responders declared Aragon dead at the scene. The 23-year-old joined the Air Force in 2022 and was assigned to F.E. Warren that October.

“We are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of Senior Airman Aragon,” Col. Terry Holmes, commander of the 90th Missile Wing, said in a press release. “He was a valued member of our defender team, and his passing leaves a tremendous void.”

Aragon’s death came about a month after Airman Brayden Lovan, 21, died July 20 when an M18 handgun discharged a 9mm round around 1:30 a.m. while he was on duty at F.E. Warren. The case sparked service-wide inspections of the M18 inventory, as initial reports suggested the gun had discharged on its own. On Aug. 8, the Air Force arrested an unnamed Airman in connection to the case on suspicion of making a false official statement, obstruction of justice, and involuntary manslaughter.

On Aug. 13, Airman 1st Class Tatyana A. Salceda was killed in a “vehicle-related incident” at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, the base said in a press release. The release said Salceda, a 28-year-old from St. Louis, Missouri, was assigned to the 673rd Logistics Readiness Squadron, but provided no further details about the incident.

“It is a tragedy to lose such a bright and young Airman,” Col. Lisa Mabbutt, commander of the 673rd Air Base Wing, said in a statement. 

And the Air Force is investigating the Aug. 4 death of Airman 1st Class Syamukonka Moonga, who collapsed during a PT test and did not respond to attempts to revive him. Moonga was assigned to the 346th Training Squadron, which trains vehicle maintainers at Port Hueneme, California.

“We mourn the loss of Airman 1st Class Moonga, a young airman with a bright future,” squadron commander Lt. Col. Jonathan Ely said. “His joy, kindess and enthusiasm will be deeply missed.”

As of Aug. 6, 25 people had died in what the Air Force Safety Center terms “occupational safety” mishaps in fiscal 2025, including in 24 off-duty incidents. That’s down from more than 40 deaths in all but one of the past five years. Those incidents can range from recreational accidents to car wrecks.