A 27-year-old Los Angeles serviceman was among nine soldiers killed Wednesday when two military helicopters crashed during a training exercise in Kentucky.

Sergeant Isaac John Gayo, 27, of Los Angeles, was identified in a press release from Fort Campbell on Friday. The nine soldiers killed belonged to the 101st Airborne Division.

“This is a moment of great sadness for the 101st Airborne Division,” said Major General JP McGee, commanding general of the 101st Airborne Division and Fort Campbell. “The loss of these soldiers will impact our formations for years to come. Now is the time to mourn and heal. The entire division and this community stand with the families and friends of our fallen soldiers. “

Here are the names and places of origin of the nine soldiers killed in the accident.

  • Chief Warrant Officer 1 Jeffery Barnes, 33, of Milton, Fla.
  • Cpl. Emilie Marie Eve Bolanos, 23, from Austin, Texas
  • Chief Warrant Officer 2 Zachary Esparza, 36, of Jackson, Missouri
  • Sergeant Isaac John Gayo, 27, from Los Angeles, California
  • Staff Sergeant Joshua C. Gore, 25, of Morehead City, North Carolina
  • Chief Warrant Officer 1 Aaron Healy, 32, of Cape Coral, Florida
  • Staff Sergeant Taylor Mitchell, 30, of Mountain Brook, Alabama
  • Chief Warrant Officer 2 Rusten Smith, 32, of Rolla, Missouri
  • Sergeant David Solinas Jr, 23, of Oradell, NJ

The Fort Campbell statement said an Army Aviation Safety Team is on scene investigating the crash involving two U.S. Army Black Hawk medical evacuation helicopters. which houses the 101st Airborne Division.

The helicopters flew together during the training exercise with pilots wearing night-vision goggles, Army officials said. The accident happened while they were flying and not during a medical evacuation drill, said Brig. General John Lubas, deputy commander of the 101st Airborne.

Black Hawk helicopters have something akin to airliner black boxes, which record the aircraft’s flight performance and are used by investigators to analyze crashes. Authorities said they hoped the device would provide information about the cause of Wednesday’s crash.

The crash was the deadliest training incident for the Army since March 2015, when a Black Hawk helicopter crashed into water off the coast of Florida in thick fog, a said Jimmie Cummings, spokesman for the Center for Preparedness for Army Combat at Fort Rucker. Four Louisiana National Guard soldiers and seven Navy special operations forces were killed.

The Black Hawk is used in several different configurations for a wide range of missions, including load lifting, combat assault, special operations, search and rescue, medical evacuation, and aerial firefighting. . The workhorse of the US military, the armed services branch operates more than 2,100 aircraft, known as Firehawks when configured to fight wildfires.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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