.Helo Crash at Eglin AFB

[racing_kitty]

From WKRG (local news station)

PENSACOLA, Fl. - Seven Marines and four soldiers are missing early Wednesday after an Army helicopter crashed during a night training exercise at Eglin Air Force Base in the Florida Panhandle.

Base officials say the Marines are part of a Camp Lejeune-based special operations group and the soldiers are from a Hammond, Louisiana-based National Guard unit.

Eglin spokesman Andy Bourland says the helicopter was reported missing around 8:30 p.m. Tuesday and search and rescue crews found debris from the crash around 2 a.m. Wednesday.

The helicopter went down during a routine training mission on a remote swath of beach between Pensacola and Destin. The beach is owned by the military and is used for test missions.

I hope that these troops are found soon, and found safe. It's been raining the last two or three days, but the temperatures are much milder than this time a week ago, so there's that going for them. Say a prayer, guys and girls.

 

[Gunz]

Just got word of this. Prayers out.


Edit. Heavy fog, low ceiling, helo went down in the Gulf...tail rotor recovered by CG around 0200.

 

[Kheenbish]

Blue skies and fair winds to the aircrew and thank you for your service to the other members (Marines/Soldiers don't trust CNN). Just read the 11 are presumed dead.

 

[Grunt]

Sad news indeed!

I truly hate these types of incidents.

 

[AWP]

When the names are released we'll start a seperate thread in the Fallen Warriors section for all 11 involved. That will be for condolences, not discussion. Discussion will go here.

Blue Skies.

 

[x SF med]

Once again this should be a wake up call for the uninformed masses of Americans who think that joining the military is a way to beat a bad economy or to get something for free. Even the training to remain capable for your job is dangerous, and the ultimate reward for failure or mistake is being relegated to oblivion in a violent manner.

Wx is, in this case, a contributing factor... people forget that Wx and terrain (in the old format) could be part of Enemy Forces under Situation. they showed the fog on the news, pea soup... great for cover on a patrol, notsomuch for a pilot in the air.

This is a tragedy to be sure, but sadly, in order to train like you fight, there will be occasional training disasters.

 

[RackMaster]

I hope all lost are found, at the very least to give the families closure.

 

[Red Flag 1]

Rest In God's Own Peace, with prayers out for all touched by this tragic accident.

 

[AKkeith]

Getting word that the Marines on board were MARSOC.

Prayers out for them and their families.

 

[Rapid]

Very sad news. RIP.

 

[racing_kitty]

According to this update, some remains have washed ashore. Damn... I hope the rest of the crew will be found quickly.

Fair winds and following seas.

 

[0699]

Semper Fidelis.

 

[DA SWO]

Fair winds and following seas.



I hate training deaths.

 

[RackMaster]

RIP.

 

[amlove21]

RIP warriors. Fair winds.

 

[CDG]

Damn. RIP Warriors.

 

[AWP]

I'll post this as a human being, not as an official position of this forum or as an Admin for this site.

I like to think out loud, but I also think speculating right now is in poor taste.
1. Almost anything could cause that crash.
2. Did anyone stop to think that we have Lejune-based MARSOC Marines on this board? I can think of 3 or 4 off the top of my head and does anyone want to play the MARSOC version of the Kevin Bacon game? Given MARSOC's size does anyone want to place odds on adding another white tag to the forum?
3. You do know reporters will find boards like this one, right?

I can be a pretty tasteless individual, but the last thing I'd want right now is for a member, team mate, or loved one to see us speculating and flapping our gums.

Blue Skies.

 

[medicchick]

Fair winds and following seas. RIP

 

[Salt USMC]

Rest in peace.

 

[Scubadew]

Fair Winds and Following Seas, Warriors.