New York's 10th Mountain,...

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Ten soldiers killed in transport helicopter crash in Afghanistan belonged to 10th Mountain Division

By JOHN KEKIS, Associated Press
First published: Monday, May 8, 2006

FORT DRUM -- Ten Fort Drum soldiers were killed in Friday's helicopter crash in Afghanistan, a base spokesman confirmed Sunday.


It was the deadliest day for Fort Drum soldiers since March 11, 2003, when a chopper crash on post killed 11 soldiers.

The names and units of the soldiers in the 10th Mountain Division will not be released for several days, Fort Drum spokesman Benjamin Abel said Sunday. Abel said to expect no comment Sunday from the Army about the crash.

The soldiers were killed Friday evening when their CH-47 Chinook transport helicopter crashed during combat operations in Afghanistan's rugged and remote Kunar province. There were no survivors. The helicopter was conducting operations on a mountaintop landing zone around 8 p.m. when it fell into a ravine, according to a statement from the U.S. military base in Afghanistan.

The U.S. military said the helicopter was not downed by hostile fire.

Six soldiers were aboard the helicopter and four more from a ground group were boarding when -- for reasons still unclear -- the helicopter rolled down the side of the mountain where it was landing, Lt. Col. Paul Fitzpatrick, the 10th Mountain Division's chief public affairs officer, told News Channel WNYTV in Watertown on Sunday.

"There were people on the landing zone, other aircraft in the air," Fitzpatrick told the Watertown Daily Times on Saturday. "There was no enemy contact."

Lt. Tamara D. Lawrence, a spokeswoman for the U.S.-led coalition in Afghanistan, on Sunday said all 10 bodies had been recovered from the crash site, which could not be reached by road.

The helicopter crashed about 40 miles southwest of a large U.S. military base in the provincial capital of Asadabad.

The soldiers were conducting combat operations on a mountaintop landing zone as part of a hunt for al-Qaida and Taliban militants believed to be hiding in the mountainous terrain.

"It was night. There was some wind," Fitzpatrick said. "I couldn't say whether those were factors until the investigation is complete."

"Our hearts and prayers go out to the families and comrades of the soldiers who were involved in this crash," Maj. Gen. Benjamin Freakley, commander of the 10th Mountain Division and Fort Drum, said in a news release. "We must honor the courage and dedication of our soldiers by continuing our commitment to bringing peace and stability to the Afghan people."

Of the roughly 18,000 Americans serving in Afghanistan, about half are from the 10th Mountain Division.

Word of the helicopter crash hit hard at the base.

Tim Martin was driving onto Fort Drum when he heard the sobering news, then breathed a sigh of relief because he knew his wife was safe.

"I heard a helicopter went down, then they said where it went down," Martin said Sunday as ate dinner at Wood Chips BBQ just outside a gate of the Army installation in northern New York. "If a helicopter crashes some place where your loved one is stationed, your jaw is going to drop. Hey, that could be my spouse, my family member. You always think the worst, but I'm OK."

in the National Guard, but is back home after serving a tour of duty in Iraq.
"I feel sad when I heard the news. Too many people," said Nelli, who is a member of a small congregation of Korean immigrants who worship in nearby Black River. "One time is too many. I cry for their families."

Derek Parker, a 20-year Army veteran who has served twice in Iraq, looked skyward after a worship service Sunday at Sweet Haven Holy Church of God.

"We've been blessed," Parker said. "We have not lost anyone from our congregation, and it's mostly military. We pray for our soldiers in harm's way because everybody in our congregation has someone or knows someone that's across the water. That's the only thing we can do.

"It's kind of like Passover," Parker said. "You put the blood over your door and hope the death angel passes over. You never get used to it. No one ever does."

Certainly not Parker's wife, Ushell.

"There's no reason to have a war right now," she said. "I feel we're over there for no reason, really."

a little bit about them."

The crash was the deadliest for U.S. forces in Afghanistan in a year. It comes at a time of increasing militant attacks, and that only heightens the anxiety of people like Martin, whose 37-year-old wife is an Army military intelligence officer serving in Baghdad until June.

"I waited a long time to find my wife. I worry with all the stuff that goes on over there," said Martin, who is planning a Mexican vacation with her when she returns. "I'm looking forward to her being around the house."

...www.timesunion.com

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...."May they rest in peace",...



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