For the second time in a week, a helicopter crash in Afghanistan has had fatal consequences for U.S. forces. The crash Saturday of an OH-58 Kiowa killed one U.S. service member and injured another.
The Department of Defense reports Chief Warrant Officer James E. Groves III, 37, died Saturday in an incident that's "under investigation." A DoD official told Ohio television station WTDN that Groves, a Kiowa pilot, was killing in a helicopter crash.
Groves was assigned to 3rd Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade at 3rd Infantry Division, Hunter Army Airfield in Georgia.
Groves's mother Leslie told WTDN.com her son was married with two small children, and the family lived in Savannah, Georgia.
Groves was on his fourth deployment to Afghanistan when he was killed. He had planned to retire from the service within the year.
As Home Post reported last week, five U.S. soldiers, also based at Hunter Army Airfield, died last Tuesday when their UH-60 Black Hawk went down in Southern Afghanistan.
The five soldiers who were killed in that crash were, according to the Department of Defense:
Staff Sgt. Steven P. Blass, 27, of Estherville, Iowa. He was assigned to the 4th Battalion, 3rd Aviation Regiment, 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division.
Chief Warrant Officer Bryan J. Henderson, 27, of Franklin, Louisiana. He was assigned to the 4th Battalion, 3rd Aviation Regiment, 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division.
Capt. Sara M. Knutson, 27, of Eldersburg, Maryland. She was assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division.
Staff Sgt. Marc A. Scialdo, 31, of Naples, Florida. He was assigned to the 603rd Aviation Support Battalion, 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division.
Spc. Zachary L. Shannon, 21, of Dunedin, Florida. He was assigned to the 4th Battalion, 3rd Aviation Regiment, 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division.
