Five American service members were killed in a crash late Friday after their helicopter had a "mishap" during a training exercise and went into the eastern Mediterranean Sea, the military said Sunday.

Two officials confirmed that the five were Army special operations soldiers, as first reported by The New York Times and Washington Post. Search and rescue efforts went into Saturday before being called off, according to the officials.

The craft that crashed was an MH-60 helicopter, the officials said.

U.S. European Command said in an initial statement on Saturday that the cause of the crash was under investigation but "there are no indications of hostile activity."

The aircraft was conducting a "routine air refueling mission" when the "mishap" occurred, according to European Command's statement on Sunday. Further details about what went wrong were not provided.

The helicopter went down near Cyprus, a third U.S. official said. The crew was part of special operations forces recently sent there to be in place if needed to help evacuate American citizens from the region amid the unfolding Israel-Hamas war, according to the official.

The names of the dead have not yet been released, pending notification of relatives.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in his own statement that "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. They represent the best of America. We will remember their service and their sacrifice."


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5 US special operations troops killed in Veterans Day weekend crash after training 'mishap': Officials
LUIS MARTINEZ and MATT SEYLER
Sun, November 12, 2023, 10:15 PM GMT·2 min read

Five American service members were killed in a crash late Friday after their helicopter had a "mishap" during a training exercise and went into the eastern Mediterranean Sea, the military said Sunday.

Two officials confirmed that the five were Army special operations soldiers, as first reported by The New York Times and Washington Post. Search and rescue efforts went into Saturday before being called off, according to the officials.

The craft that crashed was an MH-60 helicopter, the officials said.

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U.S. European Command said in an initial statement on Saturday that the cause of the crash was under investigation but "there are no indications of hostile activity."

The aircraft was conducting a "routine air refueling mission" when the "mishap" occurred, according to European Command's statement on Sunday. Further details about what went wrong were not provided.

The helicopter went down near Cyprus, a third U.S. official said. The crew was part of special operations forces recently sent there to be in place if needed to help evacuate American citizens from the region amid the unfolding Israel-Hamas war, according to the official.

The names of the dead have not yet been released, pending notification of relatives.

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Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in his own statement that "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. They represent the best of America. We will remember their service and their sacrifice."

"My prayers are with the patriots we have lost today and their families, loved ones, and teammates," Austin said.

European Command officials and Austin's statement initially conflicted on the timing of the incident, whether it was late Friday or early Saturday. The Pentagon said Sunday afternoon that it was late Friday.

President Joe Biden publicly mourned the deaths, saying in a statement that military members "put their lives on the line for our country every day. They willingly take risks to keep the American people safe and secure. And their daily bravery and selflessness is an enduring testament to what is best in our nation."
Acknowledging the crash occurred at the start of Veterans Day weekend, Biden said, "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."

"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," the president said.


https://www.yahoo.com/gma/5-us-members-killed-crash-163110264.html



These guys like taking deadly risks, you'll see how they'll improve in their next move. But they like covering up their secret trainings with very obvious lies that will make one think they're stupid but LMAO 🤣. The pilots love doing some very insane aerial manoeuvres, they even shoot live missiles at the pilots in training who also attempt to either dodge or neutralise the danger and any mistake would lead to his death, thereby teaching others alive the type of mistake to avoid. This is why they're at the top in military advancement. Some nations would prefer their craft to crash at the war front. Actually staying at the top requires some price and sacrifice that no one is willing to take.