United States Army Warrant Officer 1 • Line of Duty Death: April 27, 2023

United States Army Warrant Officer 1 Stewart Duane Wayment passed away on April 27, 2023 while in the line of duty.
Wayment was born and raised in Spokane, Washington. His father was in the military, so he also spent parts of his childhood living in Boise, Idaho, Layton, Utah, and Las Vegas, Nevada. He was the second youngest of four siblings, whom he loved very much. Although the family struggled with the experience of divorce, Wayment committed himself to having a family of his own and making sure his children had the security that he felt he lacked at times while growing up. Throughout his youth, he was kind, playful, and loved to joke around. He was always willing to lend a hand to anyone who needed it and he developed strong friendships that he maintained throughout his life. During his free time, he loved to spend time outdoors, camp, fish, and attend church. Wayment also loved Boy Scouts because he had the opportunity to learn more about and enjoy the wilderness, even earning his Eagle Scout award. He and his wife, Kiara, met while he was serving his mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints to Peru Lima Central. They were married about 18 months after his mission in December of 2013 on the beach in Lima, Peru.
Having valued liberty, freedom and service, Wayment saw joining the Army as a way to serve his country while supporting his family and creating better opportunities for their health and education. He previously served with the Utah Army National Guard before becoming an Active-Duty soldier, serving in Fort Carson, Colorado. Wayment then attended Warrant Officer Candidate School and Army Aviation School in Fort Rucker, Alabama. He graduated and received his wings in May of 2022 and was assigned to fly the AH-64D Apache in Fort Wainwright, Alaska. Although he enjoyed learning and advancing his career, above all else, Wayment loved that he could be a part of something and help people while serving his country; he saw it as a way to do good. He had goals to become a helicopter pilot and worked hard to achieve that goal. He also had aspirations to someday use his passion and skill to help others discover and enjoy nature through guided trips. Throughout his honorable career, Wayment was awarded five Army Achievement Medals, the National Defense Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and the Army Service Ribbon. In April of 2023, while participating in a training exercise, a helicopter collided with Wayment’s midair. He was one of three men who did not survive the accident and the fourth pilot did everything in his power to help them immediately after the crash.
Kiara and her three sons are currently live in Utah after an extended visit with her family in Peru. She enjoys crafting, hiking, camping, nature, and spending time exploring Alaska and the places she knew her husband wanted to share with her before his premature passing. Additionally, Kiara loves to dance and enjoyed sharing her culture with her children while they were in Peru. In the future, she is excited to continue to watch her children grow in a safe place, supported by family who can help keep Wayment’s memory alive. The donation of a mortgage-free home from Tunnel to Towers will help alleviate the stress of housing and will offer the flexibility of more financial support for her children’s needs in the future. Finally, Kiara would like others to know that her husband was a good, hardworking man who loved her. Wayment valued his family above anything else and was an amazing father who loved spending time with his children. He was kind, intelligent, and was valued by his coworkers who attest that he always put his all into everything he did. Wayment is impossible to replace. “I love you to heaven and back.”
United States Army Warrant Officer 1 Stewart Duane Wayment is survived by his loving wife, Kiara, and his three sons, Duane Joseph, Augustus James, and Orion Leo.
The Tunnel to Towers Foundation has provided the Wayment family with a mortgage-free home through the Gold Star Family Home Program.