TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — The U.S. Department of Defense identified the five U.S. Army Special Operations soldiers who were killed in a helicopter crash over the Mediterranean, according to a Monday release.
The DOD wrote that the deceased soldiers were:
- 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
- Sgt. Cade M. Wolfe, 24, of Mankato, Minnesota.
The five SpecOps aviation soldiers were said to be training with aerial refueling when their MH-60 Blackhawk had an emergency, causing it to crash into the Mediterranean Sea.
At this time, there is no evidence that the crash was caused by enemy activity.
“Our thoughts and prayers remain with the families of the fallen,” the DOD said. “The U.S. Army’s Combat Readiness Center is conducting an investigation into the incident.”
