The two members of the U.S. Army killed last week when their OH-58D Kiowa Warrior helicopter crashed in Afghanistan were, according to the Department of Defense: Chief Warrant Officer 2 Jose L. Montenegro Jr., 31, of Houston, Texas, and Chief Warrant Officer 2 Thalia S. Ramirez, 28, of San Antonio, Texas.
They were assigned to the 1st Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment, 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg in North Carolina.
A colleague of Ramirez and Montenegro wrote to Home Post about how dearly missed is coworkers are. (He asked not to be identified.) These are his words:
Thalia Ramirez was a very beautiful, sweet, kind, caring, officer that was instant friends with all those she met. Her warm smile always lit up a room and she could always bring joy to those around her. She will be deeply missed, and the lives of her fellow pilots and other soldiers will be a lot less bright with her gone.
Mr. Montenegro was a caring, loving person who cherished his friends, his family back in Texas, and those he worked with.
There is a huge hole in the hearts of all of us here in the 1/17th Cavalry that will never be filled.
The cause of the crash is under investigation.
