Sims, Jacob Michael

Also known as: CW3, COMPANY A, 4TH BATTALION, 160TH SOAR, JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, WA

Combatant

Male Verified

DiedOctober 28, 2017

Age36 years old

Location of DeathLOGAR, TAAC-E

Cause of DeathKilled in action when his MH-60 Black Hawk helicopter was struck by enemy small arms fire and crashed in Logar province.

Conflict Operation Freedom's Sentinel

Chief Warrant Officer 3 Jacob Michael Sims, 36, of Juneau, Alaska, was a U.S. Army helicopter pilot assigned to the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment. He was killed in action in Logar province, Afghanistan, on October 28, 2017.

Their Story

Jacob Michael Sims was a Chief Warrant Officer 3 in the U.S. Army from Juneau, Alaska. He served with Company A, 4th Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR), known as the 'Night Stalkers,' based at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington. The 160th SOAR is a specialized unit that provides aviation support for special operations forces.

On October 28, 2017, Sims was piloting an MH-60 Black Hawk helicopter on a mission in the Logar province of eastern Afghanistan. The aircraft was reportedly struck by enemy small arms fire and crashed. According to U.S. military statements, Sims and another service member, Staff Sergeant David Thomas Brabander, were killed in the incident. Two other crew members were injured.

Sims died during Operation Freedom's Sentinel, the U.S. military mission in Afghanistan that began in January 2015. The mission's stated objectives were to train, advise, and assist Afghan forces and to conduct counterterrorism operations against groups like al-Qaeda and the Islamic State's affiliate in the region. In 2017, the U.S. had approximately 11,000 troops in the country, and Logar province was an area of continued insurgent activity.

The Department of Defense officially announced the deaths on October 29, 2017. Sims was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal, the Air Medal with 'V' device for valor, and the Purple Heart. His remains were returned to the United States, and he was buried at Fort Richardson National Cemetery in Alaska.

Sims is remembered by his unit and community as a dedicated soldier and pilot. His name is inscribed on the Afghanistan War Memorial at Joint Base Lewis-McChord and is included on the Defense Casualty Analysis System's official roster of casualties from the conflict.