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Remains of 3 National Guardsmen killed in NY helicopter crash recovered
MENDON, N.Y. — The U.S. Army will lead the investigation into a helicopter crash that killed three National Guard members on a training exercise, authorities said Thursday after the remains of the troops were recovered from the rural upstate New York crash site.
Army aviation safety investigators were expected on scene by Friday morning, Monroe County Sheriff’s Chief Deputy Michael Fowler said at a news conference.
The UH-60 Black Hawk medical evacuation helicopter crashed in a farmer’s field in rural Mendon, south of Rochester, around 6:30 p.m. Wednesday. There were no survivors.
Witnesses who called 911 reported hearing the sounds of an engine sputtering and said the helicopter was flying very low.
Soldier Found Dead at Base in Kuwait, Army Says
The Army was investigating what caused the death of a soldier at a base in Kuwait this week.
The soldier, who has not yet been publicly identified, was found unresponsive Wednesday at Camp Arifjan, the Army said.
“We send our heartfelt condolences to the family of the deceased,” U.S. Army Central said in an emailed statement Thursday.
The soldier’s name was being withheld until 24 hours after family had been notified, it said.
It’s the second soldier’s death in Kuwait this year, coming a little over a week after Staff Sgt. Anthony Bermudez, 28, was killed in a vehicle accident near Camp Buehring.
New retirement extensions allow the Army to retain critical talent
U.S. Army Colonel Paul Schmitt, a Foreign Area Officer (FAO) stationed in Kyiv, Ukraine, was planning to retire after 30 years of service. Schmitt serves as the Army Attaché with the Defense Attaché Office (DAO) at the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine. The DAO represents the Department of Defense to the host-nation government and military and assists and advises the U.S. ambassador on military matters.
With Schmitt’s impending retirement and no one qualified to replace him, the Army faced a critical capability shortage. A new authority granted by the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of 2019 allows the Army to authorize select officers to serve up to 40 years. Under previous authorities, officers could only be retained no more than 5 years based on their time in grade and service. When offered to extend his MRD, Schmitt agreed to postpone his retirement plans and continue to serve.
Schmitt is one of ten officers selected for a 2020 pilot, which includes Army War College professors and FAOs. The MRD Extension differs from previous Selective Continuation (SELCON) and retiree recall authorities because it focuses solely on an individual’s unique talents and leverages their knowledge, skills, behaviors, and preferences to retain proven officers where and when they are needed.
US Army: Suspected Rockford mass shooter was on leave, stationed at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida
The US Army released a statement Sunday on Duke Webb, 37, who was arrested in Rockford after a mass shooting at Don Carter Lanes left 3 dead and 3 wounded late Saturday.
Duke, Army Sgt. 1st Class, worked as a Special Forces Assistant Operations and Intelligence Sergeant assigned to 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), located at Camp Bull Simons, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. According to the US Army, Webb joined the service in 2008 and was on leave when the shooting occurred.
According to the US Army, a Sgt. 1st Class (E7) has up to 15 years of military experience.