Five U.S. Army Special Operations soldiers were killed Friday during a training exercise after a military helicopter crashed into the Mediterranean Sea.
The aircraft experienced an in-flight emergency during a routine mission, according to the Department of Defense.
“The MH-60 Blackhawk was conducting aerial refueling training when the aircraft experienced an in-flight emergency, resulting in the crash. The aircraft and soldiers were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne),” the department said in a statement Monday.
It said earlier that search and rescue operations had begun and that it was withholding the identities of the fallen crew members until their next of kin had been notified.
“As we continue to gather more information about this fatal crash, it is another stark reminder that the brave men and women who defend our great nation put their lives on the line every day to keep our country safe,” Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement Sunday. “They represent the very best of America. We will remember their service and sacrifice.”
On Monday, the five service members killed were identified as Chief Warrant Officer 3 Stephen R. Dwyer, 38, of Clarksville, Tennessee; Chief Warrant Officer 2 Shane M. Barnes, 34, of Sacramento, California; Staff Sgt. Tanner W. Grone, 26, of Gorham, New Hampshire; Sgt. Andrew P. Southard, 27, of Apache Junction, Arizona; and Sgt. Cade M. Wolfe, 24, of Mankato, Minnesota.
“We mourn the loss of these five incredible soldiers, each a national treasure. They come from rare patriotic families with deep ties to military service that span multiple generations and formations,” Lt. Gen. Jonathan Braga, commander of U.S. Army Special Operations Command, said in a statement.
“This is devastating news that reverberates throughout the special operations community. Any loss is difficult, but in this case, service to the nation is truly a family business, and it’s hard to express the sorrow we all feel right now,” Braga said.
The incident is the latest of several military accidents that have claimed lives this year.
In August, a Marine Corps aircraft crashed on Melville Island in Australia during a training exercise, killing three of the 23 service members on board and injuring the rest.
Nine people were also killed when two Army helicopters collided over Kentucky during a training mission in March. Just a month earlier, three people died in another Army helicopter collision in Alaska.
