"He Knew The Risks, And Was Proud To Be A Soldier"

Flags are flying low at Hunter Army Airfield in Savannah, GA. The national emblem is raised in the morning in a ceremony that base soldiers conduct routinely every day. What makes today different from the routine is that they then lower Old Glory to half-staff to honor the memory of four Army aviators from the 3rd Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR), which is based here.

The four men died in the fiery crash of an MH-47E Chinook helicopter which struck a radio antenna in conditions of poor visibility, as previously reported in Aero-News.

Local ag pilot Michael G. Ford of Doerun, GA, told the local paper that he flew right over the accident scene minutes after the crash. "It was just a big ball of fire,"  Ford said. "It certainly gets your attention. I fly around those TV towers all the time."

One shocked survivor, who staggered away from the wreck with only minor injuries, identified himself to a witness as pilot Jim Schrader, according to a report in that same paper, the Moultrie Observer.

The Army did not confirm Schrader's name, but released the names of the four crewmen who died:

• Chief Warrant Officer Four Michael L. Wright, 41, pilot, of Indiana
• Sergeant Christopher M. Erberich, 25, mechanic and flight engineer, of Oceanside, CA
• Sergeant Rhonald E. Meeks, 28, mechanic and flight engineer, of Weatherford, TX
• Sergeant Michael D. Hall, 30, aircraft structural repairman, of Little Rock, AR

Each man had been deployed from three to seven times to Iraq and/or Afghanistan.

The aircraft was on a routine training flight, destination Ft. Rucker in southern Alabama, when it struck the radio mast in Colquitt County, Georgia.

"We take all safety precautions necessary to protect our crew, whether in training or combat," the battalion commander, Lieutenant Colonel Manfred D. Little, said. "Unfortunately, in the aviation profession, there is no level of planning, training, type of equipment or amount of resources that can completely prevent such types of tragic accidents from occurring."

The Night Stalkers of the 160th SOAR are all volunteers from among the top performers in other Army aviation units. They work with US and foreign elite forces, and pride themselves on professionalism, innovation, and sheer doggedness. The original mission of the unit was to deliver commandos and agents deep behind enemy lines in wartime, clandestinely -- and return to pick them up. Each member must undergo a grueling selection course before he can serve with the publicity-shy unit. This lets him -- all Night Stalkers are men -- internalize the unit motto: "Night Stalkers Don't Quit."

Despite the unit's preference for darkness and shadow, it was made widely famous by the book and movie Black Hawk Down. Before that, it was well known only in military circles.

The four crash victims shared a total of 33 years' Army service and 22 combat deployments. Wright had also served in the Air Force as an Air Traffic Controller and security policeman, before joining the Army and learning to fly helicopters.

In addition to the statement by LTC Little, several families issued public statements through the Army.

"He loved what he was doing, he knew the risks, and he was proud to be a soldier fighting so others wouldn't have to." -- Judy Wright (widow) and family.

"Even in the face of danger, he showed courage and bravery as well as a keen sense of humor." -- Alissa Meeks (widow) and family.

"Michael was doing what he loved and believed in, and we appreciate the sacrifice he was willing to make to keep us safe." -- Lynda Hall (mother) and family.

A formal memorial service took place at Hunter Army Air Field on Tuesday.

Many military personnel are making donations to a nonprofit that helps the children of fallen special operators, like these aviators, attend college. The Special Operations Warrior Foundation is unusual in that it supports family members of those who died in peacetime training accidents, always present in the risk-taking special operations community. The Foundation was started by Air Force special operations aviators, Son Tay Raiders, and veterans of the ill-fated Iranian hostage rescue mission of 1980.

In addition to the Warrior Foundation, the Night Stalkers have their own veterans' organization which does all it can to support the families of the unit's fallen. Despite the relative novelty of the unit, in a service that prides itself on the seniority of some of its mossier old units, the Night Stalkers' memorial already contains seventy names. Indeed, the last entry on the memorial wall came only two weeks before this, when an MH-6 was downed in Yusufiyah, Iraq, killing MAJ Matthew W. Worrell and CWO5 Jamie D. Weeks.

In another reminder that helicopter operations are always risky, on Sunday the Department of Defense also identified two Marines who died in a non-hostile helicopter accident near Taqaddum, Iraq on May 27. Marines Capt. Nathanael J. Doring, 31, of Apple Valley, MN, and Cpl. Richard A. Bennett, 25, of Girard, KS, were assigned to Marine Light/Attack Helicopter Squadron 169, Marine Aircraft Group 39, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, CA.

Aero-News extends our heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of these fallen airmen. Fly safe.

FMI: www.army.mil, www.nightstalkers.com, www.specialops.org