Soldier from SC dies following non-combat crash in Kuwait, DOD confirms

AIKEN, S.C. (FOX Carolina) - The Department of Defense announced that a soldier from South Carolina recently passed away, supporting Operation Spartan Shield in Kuwait.

Officials said 20-year-old Spc. Jayson Reed Haven of Aiken, South Carolina, passed away on May 25 following a non-combat vehicle rollover accident at Camp Buehring. They added that the incident is currently being investigated.

According to officials, Spc. Haven was assigned to Company B, 1st Battalion, 118th Infantry Regiment, 218th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, Charleston, South Carolina.

Spc. Haven joined the Army in Jan. 2020 and attended one station unit training in Fort Benning, GA before his unit was deployed in 2022.

His awards and decorations include the National Defense Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, among others.

“There are no words that can adequately express how deeply saddened I am at the loss of one of our own. SPC Jayson R. Haven was more than just a member of the South Carolina National Guard, he was family.” said Maj. Gen. Van McCarty, adjutant general, South Carolina. “As the Adjutant General, it is impossible for me not to feel this loss on a personal level. Soldiers and their families are the fabric that holds our South Carolina Military Department together. There is nothing that I can say or offer to the family of SPC Haven but know my thoughts and prayers and that of a great many South Carolinians are with you. You are not alone in grieving; we are with you.”

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