Airman killed in accident at Kuwait base

An Air Force airman was killed in an accident while driving an all-terrain-vehicle on a Kuwaiti base, the Pentagon announced Wednesday. 

Staff Sergeant Ronald Ouellette, 23, of Merrimack, N.H., died Monday in a single ATV “non-combat related accident on the flightline at Ali Al Salem Air Base,” situated near the Iraq border, according to a Defense Department statement. 

The cause of the accident is under investigation.

“Ronald was a valued member of the Patriot Wing and there are no words that can heal the pain his loss brings,” 439th Airlift Wing Commander Col. Craig Peters said in a separate statement. “The loss of our own, or any service member, is never easy. During this difficult time, our priority is to do all we can to lift and support his family, friends, fellow Airmen in his squadron and loved ones who are struggling.”

Ouellette was assigned to the 42nd Aerial Port Squadron out of Massachusetts’ Westover Air Reserve Base. He was deployed as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the U.S. and allied nations’ fight against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, according to the statement.