GhLinks Media
On Monday, 10 November 2023, five U.S. Army soldiers were killed in a helicopter crash during a training exercise over the weekend have been identified.
The U.S. Army Special Operations aviation soldiers were killed on Friday during routine flight training over the eastern Mediterranean Sea, the U.S. Department of Defense said in a statement.
The names, ages, and ranks of the soldiers killed in the crash are as follows:
- Chief Warrant Officer 3 Stephen Dwyer, 38, of Clarksville, Tennessee,
- Chief Warrant Officer 2 Shane 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.
The Defense Department said there were “no indications the crash was caused by enemy / hostile actions.”
“Our thoughts and prayers remain with the families of the fallen,” the statement said. “The U.S. Army’s Combat Readiness Center is conducting an investigation into the incident.”
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a separate statement that “we mourn the tragic loss of five U.S. service members during a training accident in the Mediterranean Sea early Saturday morning.”
“While we continue to gather more information about this deadly crash, it is another stark reminder that the brave men and women who defend our great nation put their lives on the line each and every day to keep our country safe,” he said.
