'Promise to never forget them': Pentagon identifies 5 soldiers killed in Mediterranean Sea helicopter crash

Kirsten Fiscus, Craig Shoup, Kenya Anderson and Thao Nguyen, USA TODAY NETWORK
·6 min read
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NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The U.S. Department of Defense on Monday identified the five Army aviation special operations forces killed when their helicopter crashed in the Mediterranean Sea over Veterans Day weekend.

The military's European Command said all five crew members on board were killed when the MH-60 Black Hawk helicopter went down "during a routine air refueling mission as part of military training." The five soldiers were ll part of the Army’s 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, known as the Night Stalkers, based at Fort Campbell, Kentucky.

The five service members 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.

Lt. Gen. Jonathan Braga, commander of the Army Special Operations Command, said the five soldiers "hail from rare patriotic families with deep military service ties that span multiple generations and formations."

"This is devastating news that reverberates across the entire Special Operations community. Every loss is tough, but in this case, service to the Nation is truly a family business and it’s hard to express the amount of sorrow that we all feel right now," Braga said in a statement Monday. "Our thoughts and prayers are with their families, their loved ones, and their fellow soldiers. Like the Special Operations community always does, we will wrap our arms around them, grieve with them, and promise to never forget them."

US troops killed in helicopter crash: 5 US service members die when helicopter crashes in Mediterranean training accident

Five soldiers were highly decorated

According to biographies provided by the Army Special Operations Command, the fallen soldiers had decorated careers with missions of fearless courage completed abroad and at home, earning medals of honor.

Dwyer received his commission from the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, New York, in 2009. He served as a Field Artillery Commissioned Officer for six years before reverting to Warrant Officer and graduating from flight school in 2018. Dwyer joined the 160th as an MH-60M pilot and deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. His awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, and the Air Medal with Combat device, among many others.

Barnes graduated from Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington, in 2011. After graduation, he attended flight school at Fort Rucker, Alabama, where he completed training to become a UH-60L Blackhawk pilot. Barnes was assigned to Korea and completed deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq. His awards and decorations include the Distinguished Flying Cross with Valor device and the Air Medal with Combat device among other campaign awards.

Grone enlisted in the Army in 2017 as 15T UH-60 "Black Hawk" repairer and was assigned to the 160th. After completing the Regiment's extensive assessment and training program in 2018, Grone then served as a flight instructor and and MH-60M crew chief. He deployed to Afghanistan and multiple times to Iraq, and was awarded the Air Medal with Combat device, the Army Commendation Medal and the Army Achievement Medal among numerous other awards.

Southard enlisted in the Army in 2015 as a 15T UH-60 "Black Hawk" repairer. He was first assigned to the 1st Armored Division’s Combat Aviation Brigade at Fort Bliss, Texas. Southard later completed a 13-month rotation to Task Force Sinai in support of ongoing peacekeeping operations. He volunteered for assignment to the 160th, serving as an MH-60M crew chief. He deployed to Afghanistan and was awarded two Army Commendation medals and an Army Achievement medal among other citations.

Wolfe enlisted in the Army in 2018 as a 15T UH-60 "Black Hawk" repairer. He was assigned to the 25th Combat Aviation Brigade at Wheeler Army Airfield, Hawaii, and later served as an MH-60M crew chief for the 160th. Wolfe’s awards and decorations include two Army Commendation Medals and an Army Achievement Medal, among other awards.

Cause of crash under investigation

Officials haven't released the cause of the crash but the Department of Defense said there is "no indication it was caused by enemy or hostile actions."

The United States has increased its military presence in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East in response to the Israel-Hamas war, including two carrier strike groups operating in the region, additional crews for U.S. Air Force squadrons and U.S. special operations forces to aid rescue efforts for hostages in Gaza.

The military first announced the crash Saturday and added that the cause is under investigation. On Sunday, military officials said "search and rescue efforts began immediately, including nearby U.S. military aircraft and ships."

The crash is the second incident involving a unit based at Fort Campbell this year. In March, nine soldiers were killed after two Black Hawk helicopters crashed in Trigg County, Kentucky, west of Fort Campbell. The nine service members — five in one helicopter, four in the other — were killed during a "multi-ship" exercise using night vision goggles, Brig. Gen. John Lubas said shortly after the crash.

Fort Campbell is home to several Army aviation units. The 160th has almost 3,000 soldiers and 200 aircraft assigned to it.

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President Biden, other officials mourn loss of service members

President Joe Biden and U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin mourned the tragic loss, noting the bravery and risks service members take to defend the country.

"Jill and I are praying for the families and friends who have lost a precious loved one—a piece of their soul. Our entire nation shares their grief," Biden said in a statement Sunday. "And, during this weekend when we pause to honor our nation’s veterans, we once more affirm the sacred obligation we bear to those who volunteer to serve our nation as well as their families, caregivers, and survivors. We pray for the families of all our fallen warriors today and every day."

In response to the incident, Hopkinsville, Kentucky, Mayor James Knight ordered all city properties to fly flags at half-staff. Hopkinsville is about 21 miles north of Fort Campbell.

"On behalf of the City of Hopkinsville, I extend my deepest condolences to the families of the five Army Special Operations service members lost during a training accident in the Mediterranean Sea this Veterans Day weekend," Knight said in a statement. "Let it serve as a reminder to us all of the sacrifice these soldiers and their families continue to make for our freedom."

Contributing: The Associated Press

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Mediterranean Sea helicopter crash: Pentagon identifies 5 victims