THE four special forces victims of a Black Hawk Army helicopter crash have been pictured.
The tragic accident happened at around 9pm near the Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state.
US Army Chief Warrant Officer Three Andrew Cully[/caption]
Sergeant Jadalyn Good[/caption]
Chief warrant officer Andrew Kraus[/caption]
Sergeant Donavon Scott[/caption]
The four soldiers killed when the aircraft came down were named by a US Army spokesperson on Monday.
US Army Chief Warrant Officer Three Andrew Cully, 35, US Army Chief Warrant Officer Three Andrew Kraus, 39, US Army Sergeant Donavon Scott, 25, and US Army Sergeant Jadalyn Good, 23, were killed in the crash.
The Thurston County sheriff’s office said the chopper had lost contact with the military in the area 40 miles from Joint Base Lewis-McChord.
It is understood the four special operations officers were on board when the chopper crashed, around 35 miles west of the base.
A US Army spokesperson said the helicopter had been carrying out a “routine training flight” when communication was lost.
The King County Sheriff’s Office Guardian 1 helicopter was the first to respond to the crash.
“Deputies have located what is believed to be the scene,” a spokesperson said.
“We have been advised that the military lost contact with a helicopter in the area and we are working closely with JBLM to deploy any resources needed to assist,” they continued.
They said deputies had located the crash site but could not continue rescue efforts.
“The scene is on fire and is starting to overheat their footwear,” they said.
The horror crash has been described as a “mishap” by the Army Special Operations Command.
The soldiers on board were members of the hardened “Night Stalkers” special operations regiments.
“Four service members assigned to the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) were on board an MH-60 Black Hawk helicopter involved in an aviation mishap in a rural area near Joint Base Lewis-McChord,” a spokesperson said.
Who are the Night Stalkers?
The Night Stalkers are an elite US Army special operations unit.
The unit flies helicopters in support of both Special Operations Forces and regular forces, often during the night.
Night Stalker missions include:
- inserting/extraction of special operations forces
- attack missions
- reconnaissance
The Army’s Special Forces soldiers are known as the “Green Berets”.
They carry out operations against terrorists through quiet, guerrilla war-style missions in foreign countries.
Green Beret teams are known to be able to operate in any environment, from city fighting to jungle warfare and desert scouting.
“This remains an active, ongoing situation.”
The spokesperson said the area where the Black Hawk had crashed was terrain that was “hard to reach”.
Four service members assigned to the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment were on board an MH-60 Black Hawk[/caption]
Law enforcement personnel responded to the crash near Joint Base Lewis-McChord[/caption]
The main flag pole in front of the US Army I Corps headquarters on Joint Base Lewis-McChord[/caption]
The smash ignited a fire, smothering up to one acre of land in smoke.
Crews from the Department of Natural Resources and a fire truck from the nearby McLane Black Lake Fire Department responded to the scene.
The base, around 10 miles south of Tacoma, is under the jurisdiction of the US Army Joint Base Headquarters.
Lt. Gen. Jonathan Braga, USASOC commander, released a statement, saying: “Our hearts are with the families, friends and teammates of these Night Stalkers”.
“They were elite warriors who embodied the highest values of the Army and the Army Special Operations,” he continued.
“Their sacrifice will never be forgotten.”
The smash comes after another helicopter crashed at the same base during a training exercise in March.
Two pilots were injured when that chopper came down.
At the time, Colonel Byren Freigo said “the two crew members were medically evacuated to the Madigan Army Medical Centre for evaluation and treatment and remain at the hospital in a stable condition”.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with these families and soldiers during their recovery,” he added.
A Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk ahead of the US Army’s 250th Anniversary Parade[/caption]
