‘A time of great sadness.’ Army identifies soldiers killed in Kentucky helicopter crash

The United States Army has released the identities of the nine soldiers who were killed in a double Black Hawk Helicopter crash in Western Kentucky last Wednesday.

The crash happened in Trigg County and was reported at approximately 10 p.m., according to military officials. It involved two HH60 Black Hawk Helicopters that were performing a routine training mission, military officials said.

All nine soldiers were based in Fort Campbell with the 101st Airborne Division, according to Brig. Gen. John Lubas, deputy commander for 101st Airborne Division.

These were the victims’ names:

• Warrant Officer 1 Jeffery Barnes, 33, of Milton, Florida

• Cpl. Emilie Marie Eve Bolanos, 23, of Austin, Texas

• Chief Warrant Officer 2 Zachary Esparza, 36, of Jackson, Missouri

• Sgt. Isaac John Gayo, 27, of Los Angeles,

• Staff Sgt. Joshua C. Gore, 25, of Morehead City, North Carolina

• Warrant Officer 1 Aaron Healy, 32, of Cape Coral, Florida

• Staff Sgt. Taylor Mitchell, 30, of Mountain Brook, Alabama

• Chief Warrant Officer 2 Rusten Smith, 32, of Rolla, Missouri

• Sgt. David Solinas Jr, 23, of Oradell, New Jersey

Five soldiers occupied one helicopter while four other soldiers occupied the second helicopter. Lubas said that’s typical for the training exercise they were conducting.

There were no survivors from the crash, Lubas said.

“This is a time of great sadness for the 101st Airborne Division. The loss of these soldiers will reverberate through our formations for years to come,” Maj. Gen. JP McGee, commanding general of the 101st Airborne Division and Fort Campbell, said in a press release. “Now is the time for grieving and healing. The whole division and this community stand behind the families and friends of our fallen Soldiers.”

Warrant Officer 1 Jeffery Barnes, 33

Barnes was born in 1990 in Florida and enlisted in the Army in 2010, according to a press release from the U.S. Army. After completing training, Barnes was assigned to the 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade as a 15R, attack helicopter repairer in Savannah, Georgia.

Barnes had served as an aeromedical evacuation pilot for the Combat Aviation Brigade, 101st Airborne Division since October, according to the Army. During his military career, Barnes completed assignments in Camp Humphreys, Korea, and Afghanistan.

Cpl. Emilie Marie Eve Bolanos, 23

Bolanos was born in the Phillippines in 1991 and enlisted in the Army in 2019. Upon completing basic training, Bolanos was assigned to the Combat Aviation Brigade, 101st Airborne Division as a UH-60 helicopter repairer and UH-60 air crewmember, according to the Army.

She served with the 101st Airborne Division since March 2020, according to the Army. She also served in Germany in support of Atlantic Resolve for nine months.

Chief Warrant Officer 2 Zachary Esparza, 36

Esparza was born in Texas in 1986 and enlisted in the Army in 2010, according to the Army. After completing basic training, Esparza was shipped out to Okinawa, Japan, where he served from 2011 to 2012.

In his career, Esparza also completed assignments in Afghanistan, Egypt and Hawaii, according to the Army.

In 2015 Esparza completed the Aviation Warrant Officer Basic Course and became a certified UH-60M pilot at Fort Rucker, Alabama, the Army said. In 2021 he was assigned to the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade, 101st Airborne Division, where he served as an instructor pilot.

Sgt. Isaac John Gayo, 27

Gayo was born in the Phillippines in 1995 and enlisted in the Army in 2019. After completing basic training in 2019, Gayo served as a a UH-60 crew chief member in Camp Humphreys, Korea, according to the Army.

Gayo was assigned the Combat Aviation Brigade, 101st Airborne Division in October 2020. The Army said he served as a UH-60 helicopter repairer, UH-60 air crewmember and UH-60 crew chief.

Staff Sgt. Joshua C. Gore, 25

Gore was born in Virginia in 1997 and enlisted in the Army in 2015, according to the Army. After completing training, Gore was enlisted to Fort Campbell as a health care specialist for the the 426th Support Battalion.

Gore spent most of his military career in Fort Carson, Colorado, where he served as a medic, combat medic, health care specialist and section non-commissioned officer, according to the Army. In May he returned to Fort Campbell and the Combat Aviation Brigade, 101st Airborne Division as a flight paramedic.

Warrant Officer 1 Aaron Healy, 32

Healy was born in 1991 in Florida and enlisted in the Army in 2010. Upon completing graduation, Healy went to Fort Campbell and was assigned to the 563rd Aviation Support Battalion, according to the Army.

Healy attended Warrant Officer Candidate School and Aviation Training at Fort Rucker, Alabama in 2021, according to the Army. After completing the training Healy was assigned to the 101st Airborne Division, where he served as an aeromedical evacuation pilot.

Healy completed two assignments in Afghanistan from 2011 to 2012 and 2014 in support of the International Security Assistance Force, the Army said.

Staff Sgt. Taylor Mitchell, 30

Mitchell was born in Alabama in 1992 and joined the Army in 2014. After completing training, Mitchell was shipped to Vilseck, Germany and was assigned to the 2nd Calvary Regiment as a health care specialist.

In November 2020 Mitchell was assigned to Fort Campbell and the Combat Aviation Brigade, 101st Airborne Division as a flight paramedic, the Army said.

Mitchell served in Romania and Germany as part of two rotational tours in support of Atlantic Resolve, according to the Army.

Chief Warrant Officer 2 Rusten Smith, 32

Smith was born in 1990 in Florida and enlisted in the Army in 2012, according to the Army. After completing training, Smith served as a human intelligence collector for the 163rd Military Intelligence Battalion at Fort Hood, Texas.

Upon completing the Warrant Officer Basic Course and Aviation Training, Smith was assigned to the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade, 101st Airborne Division in 2022 as an instructor pilot, according to the Army.

Smith served two stints in Afghanistan in support of the International Security Assistance Force, the Army said. He also spent nine months in Germany for the Atlantic Resolve in 2020.

Sgt. David Solinas Jr., 23

Solinas was born in New Jersey in 1999 and joined the Army in 2018, according to the Army. Upon completing training, Solinas was assigned to the 2nd Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, as a combat medic.

In October Solinas was assigned to the Combat Aviation Brigade, 101st Airborne Division as a flight paramedic, according to the Army.

Investigation into crash is ongoing

Maj. Daniel Mathews with the 101st Airborne Division told the Herald-Leader Friday morning that four helicopters were participating in the training exercise when two of them crashed. One helicopter had stopped to refuel when the crash occurred. The fourth helicopter wasn’t involved in the crash, but landed and made efforts to rescue victims of the crash before calling out for help, Mathews said.

The Black Hawk aircraft were a form of medical evacuation helicopters. Lubas said they don’t believe the helicopters were performing medical evacuation drills when the crash occurred.

There were no signals for distress prior to the crash.

The helicopters were flying in multi-ship formation under night-vision goggles when the crash occurred, according to Lubas.

A U.S. Army aviation safety team from Fort Rucker arrived on scene Thursday night. The team plans to conduct a thorough investigation of the incident, Army officials said previously.

Details of the crash drew national headlines. Multiple local and federal politicians offered condolences to affected friends and family of the victims after the crash.

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