Five U.S. Army Special Operations soldiers have been identified after they were killed in a helicopter crash in the Mediterranean Sea.
The MH-60 Blackhawk was on a refueling training mission when it experienced an in-flight emergency and crashed off the coast of Cyprus late Friday.
The soldiers were named as Chief Warrant Officer 3 Stephen Dwyer, 38; Chief Warrant Officer 2 Shane Barnes, 34; Staff Sergeant Tanner Grone, 26; Sergeant Andrew Southard, 27; and Sergeant Cade Wolfe, 24.
The men hailed from Clarksville, Tennessee; Sacramento, California; Gorham, New Hampshire; Apache Junction, Arizona; and Mankato, Minnesota, respectively.
‘We mourn the loss of these five incredible soldiers, each of them a national treasure,’ said Lieutenant General Jonathan Braga.
Chief Warrant Officer 3 Stephen Dwyer, 38 (left) and Chief Warrant Officer 2 Shane Barnes, 34 (right)
Staff Sergeant Tanner Grone, 26 (left) and Sergeant Andrew Southard, 27 (right)
Sergeant Cade Wolfe was the youngest soldier killed at just 24 years old
He reported that the men hailed from families with deep ties to the military.
‘Our thoughts and prayers are with their families, their loved ones, and their fellow soldiers,’ Braga continued.
‘Like the special operations community always does, we will wrap our arms around them, grieve with them, and promise to never forget them.’
In the days following their death, friends and relatives of the fallen soldiers posted touching memorials to social media commemorating their lives.
Coty DeWitt, a fellow service member and close friend of Dwyer’s, said he was at a loss for words.
‘This has dismantled myself and all the others whose lives you impacted with your slicked back approach and calm presence in the most chaotic of situations,’ he wrote.
‘You kept me straight when I was wild, you calmed me when I was a rowdy buck Sgt., and I will miss you forever.’
Doug McFarland, who played rugby with Dwyer at West Point, recalled the 2009 graduate as a ‘vibrant, devious, hilarious and larger than life guy’ as well as ‘the guy you wanted to be.’
Southard had previously deployed to Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom
Grone deployed multiple times to Iraq and Afghanistan and was awarded a series of medals
The 26-year-old was recalled fondly by his family (second from right)
Jeff Heppner, a serviceman who knew all the soldiers, began his eulogy with a touching message to Barnes.
The 34-year-old graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Gonzaga University in 2011.
He later attended flight school at Fort Rucker, Alabama and became a UH-60L Blackhawk pilot.
‘Ever had that friend that you could talk to about anything? That was him. Always calm cool collected and one of the best pilots this world has probably ever seen,’ Heppner wrote.
‘He had a knack for just bringing the best out of everyone around him and was the glue that held us together in the pilots office.’
Among the most heart-rending messages were those from Grone’s family.
The 26-year-old deployed multiple times to Iraq and Afghanistan, and was awarded a series of medals for his dedication to the service.
Grone’s parents said they were ‘beyond proud’ of the person their son had become.
‘Thank you for all these amazing years,’ the couple, Steve and Erica, wrote. ‘Please watch over us. Love you and can’t express how much you will be missed.’
‘You have surely left a mark,’ his sister wrote in a separate post. ‘I’m thankful to call you my brother, you will be missed everyday.’
A friend of Southard’s described him as ‘faithful, genuine courageous’ and the ‘best mustache grower in the universe’
Wolfe was an enthusiastic sportsman who loved skating and biking as a child
The helicopter was from the Army’s 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, which carries commando forces on raids (pictured: a Blackhawk chopper)
Chance Schick, a friend of Southard’s, fondly recalled his friend as ‘faithful, genuine courageous’ and the ‘best mustache grower in the universe.’
The 27-year-old had previously deployed to Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom.
‘It’s Veteran’s day, but from now on it’s your day,’ Schick wrote.
Wolfe, who was just 24 at the time of his death, was the youngest soldier killed in the crash.
‘Rest easy to the boy that wouldn’t leave a skateboard, scooter or BMX bike alone as a kid,’ one friend wrote, describing him as ‘the boy that always made everyone laugh.’
She continued: ‘Rest easy to the man that made a woman a wife, protected our county and made everyone proud.’
The soldiers were all members of the Army’s elite 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, also known as the Night Stalkers.
They were among the aviators assigned to carry the commandos on covert missions.