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."

[dansangel]

Thank-you for the ping. This is so sad. These men and their families are in my prayers.

May God shed his blessings on our armed forces.

[JohnHuang2]

G'morning to you, my friend.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Goodmorning friend.

[LBGA]

Thanks for pinging everyone. I was afraid these who died serving us would go unnoticed.

[LBGA]

Thanks for Taps, Meek. Everytime I hear that, I see the images of the rows and rows of white crosses in the graveyards in France. Now there will be four more somewhere back home. May they rest in peace.

[LBGA]

Thank you so much for using your ping list. These soldiers needed to be honored for their sacrifice.

[JohnHuang2]

You're more than welcome, friend. The least I could do.

[LBGA]

Thank you for posting that article. Flying is so dangerous, but the job these Blackhawk and other helicopter crews do is so important.

[LBGA]

Thank you for helping to keep this thread bumped, Dansy. Good morning to you!

[mystery-ak]

bumping for Freepers....I'll bump later when I get home from work.

[dansangel]

{{{{{{{{{LBGA}}}}}}}}}

You know, a Wednesday lunch at the local sandwich shop is way overdue! Just let us know! :-)

[firewalk]

Thanks for the ping....

[LBGA]

Thanks, mystery-ak.

[LBGA]

FReep mailed a date suggestion.

(To everyone else, I am lucky to have two fantastic FReepers living close by.) .... :-)

[ohioWfan]

You're welcome.

Morning prayer bump.

[ohioWfan]

You're welcome.

Morning prayer bump.

[ohioWfan]

Sorry for the double post...........but not sorry for the double bump!

[LBGA]

Double-posts work! I'm going to do this a couple of times myself so something I want to post will be at the top of the next page for all to see. :-)

[LBGA]

Here is # 99.... thank you (in advance) for allowing me to bump your post.

[LBGA]

Another bump, and another heartfelt thanks for the sacrifices these men and their families made.