Commander addresses 6 deaths at Japan air base
Days after the body of a Hubbard man was found at the Yokota Air Base in Japan, the base commander shared a video statement about the status of multiple death investigations there.
Trevor Balint, 34, of Hubbard, was found dead at the air base earlier this week after an extensive, two-week search. He’d been declared missing Feb. 1 when his wife, Britni Balint, of Brookfield, said he was last seen at 1:30 a.m. that night. His body ultimately was found in the same building as his apartment.
According to a video posted by Col. Andrew Campbell, 374th Airlift Wing Commander at the base, the discovery of Balint’s death was one of six on the base in 12 months.
“First and foremost I want to express my sincere condolences to the families and friends who have lost loved ones this year,” Campbell said. “I want to reassure our community that these deaths, while tragic, reflect no known danger to our community at large.”
In the video, he explained the death investigations take several months and urged the public to remain patient as the probes continue.
“In all cases of death, the Air Force Office of Special Investigations completes a thorough investigation,” Campbell said. “The integrity of these investigations prevents us from prematurely sharing many of the details about each case and even when complete, many details may not be released out of respect for the deceased and his or her loved ones.”
Also in the video, he stressed that any danger to the community would have been, or will be, appropriately addressed. At the end of the video, he again urged the public to “keep faith in the law enforcement teams, the men and women of the security forces squadron, the office of special investigations and our host nation’s police forces.”
Balint’s body was found in the apartment building on the east side of the base. According to a report, he was pronounced dead by medical personnel at the scene.
U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Howland, helped Balint’s mother-in-law, Denise Mott, of Brookfield, secure a visa to get to Japan to be with her daughter, Britni.
nhawthorne@tribtoday.com