Sandstorm may have caused fatal Army helicopter crash

www.gomemphis.com ^ | February 26, 2003

[LBGA]

Pentagon officials said Tuesday a fierce sandstorm in Kuwait might have caused the fatal crash of an Army helicopter.

The UH60 Black Hawk went down about 1 a.m. Tuesday Kuwait time some 30 miles northwest of Kuwait City, where night training exercises were under way. The Army says the cause of the crash is under investigation, but strong winds and blinding sand were reported in the area overnight.

The Pentagon identified those killed Tuesday as Spc. Rodrigo Gonzalez-Garza, 26, of Texas; Chief Warrant Officer Timothy Moehling, 35, of Florida; Chief Warrant Officer John Smith, 32, of Nevada; and Spec. William Tracy, 27, of New Hampshire.

The helicopter was part of the 158th Aviation Regiment, 5th Battalion, of the 12th Aviation Brigade based in Giebelstadt, Germany.

The group is attached to V Corps' 11th Attack Helicopter Regiment, which is part of some 9,000 troops from the corps deployed as part of the recent U.S. buildup.

The accident highlights the difficulties of engaging in combat in a region renowned for its intense heat, ubiquitous sand and unpredictable winds. During Operation Desert Storm, sand and sweat were far worse adversaries than the Iraqi army for most GIs.

Tuesday's crash came almost 12 years to the day after a Feb. 21, 1991, accident during Operation Desert Storm in which seven troops died when their Black Hawk crashed during a sudden Saudi storm.

Even before the latest accident, U.S. troops now assembling in the region were bracing for the climate changes that accelerate in March and April. The Iraqi desert heats up to triple-digit temperatures and 60-mph dust maelstroms form. That is currently seen as the most likely timeframe for a U.S. attack on Iraq.

Although acknowledging the challenges of desert warfare, the Pentagon does not count weather as an unduly dangerous constraint.

Most military experts believe any war with Iraq would be intense but brief, with most of the fighting over in a month, if not far sooner. But if combat stretched into the hotter months, GIs would still be able to fight well, military leaders and analysts say.

"Many battles have been fought in the heat of summer," Secretary of State Colin Powell, the nation's top military leader during the 1991 Gulf war, said recently.

Anthony Cordesman, military analyst at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, agreed, saying the notion that U.S. troops would be significantly impaired is "militarily ridiculous."

[LBGA]

Please take a minute to read about the four who lost their lives this week.

[LBGA]

Thanks. I am pushing hard to get people to know their names. It could be your hubby, or son, or my son, or dhardts family member. We need to acknowledge them for their sacrifice.

[Billie]

This is heartbreaking, and as you asked, here is the FR Finest ping list. Prayers are with all of the families and loved ones.

[B-Cause]

Bump

Thank you for this post from the parents of a deployed Blackhawk pilot.

[Dubya]

AMEN Billie.

May God bless and comfort their families.

[LBGA]

Thank you so much, Billie. They need to be honored.

[LBGA]

Thanks, B-cause. I am adding your son to my prayers.

[mystery-ak]

Bumping for our nation's heroes....
For all those so anxious for D-day and taking part in the betting pool....these 4 soldiers are real people not a video game.

OWF....do you have a bump list?

[JustAmy]

Thanks for the ping, Billie.

May God Bless and Comfort the families and friends of these four fallen heros.
God Bless our Military !!!! They fight to protect our FReedoms.

[fourdeuce82d]

"It was one of the most exciting things he's ever done besides jumping out of perfectly good airplanes," said Ramiro Jr. He said his brother was in the 82nd Airborne Infantry at Fort Bragg, N.C.

Devils in Baggy Pants sorrowful bump.

[Aquamarine]

These brave men died in the process of protecting our freedom and way of life, we should all feel indebted to them.
May God bless their families.

[CheneyChick]

Thanks for posting these bios. Prayers of comfort for the families and loved ones left behind. God bless our troops.

[Howlin]

Please read this thread -- we HAVE to see the faces.

[Badray]

(((Ping)))

[mystery-ak]

My thoughts are with you...my hubby is deployed with his Chinooks...God Bless them all!

[wardaddy]

Bump...

and howdy!

[Amelia]

God bless these Patriots and their families.

[LBGA]

Thanks for bumping this thread. They gave so much.

[RightWingMama]

Praying through tears.

[LBGA]

I liked the quotes from their friends in the bios. A lot of soldiers are hurting this week because they lost their friends, but they are still willing to give their all for freedom.