DOD releases names of soldiers killed in Mediterranean Sea helicopter crash

The Department of Defense has released the names of the five soldiers who were killed in a helicopter crash.

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The soldiers were members of U.S. Army Special Operations and were “killed during routine flight training” on Friday:

• CW3 Stephen R. Dwyer, 38, Clarksville, Tennessee.
• CW2 Shane M. Barnes, 34, Sacramento, California.
• Staff Sgt. Tanner W. Grone, 26, Gorham, New Hampshire.
• Sgt. Andrew P. Southhard, 27, Apache Junction, Arizona.
• Sgt. Cade M. Wolfe, 24, Mankato, Minnesota.

They were on board an MH-60 Blackhawk during aerial refueling training when there was a mid-flight emergency, which caused the crash. the Defense Department did not say exactly what the emergency was.

They were all assigned to the Army’s 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment out of Fort Campbell, Kentucky, The Associated Press reported.

The U.S. Army Special Operations Command called each of the soldiers a “national treasure.” Lt. Gen. Johnathan Braga said they each “hail from rare patriotic families with deep military service ties that span multiple generations and formations,” the AP reported.

The U.S. military has been deployed to the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East in response to the Hamas Attack on Israel last month, the AP reported.

The U.S. Army’s Combat Readiness Center is investigating the incident.