USASOC Soldiers killed in Helicopter Crash in Afghanistan

[Dan]

http://news.soc.mil/releases/News%20...091029-03.html

RELEASE NUMBER: 091029-03
DATE POSTED: OCTOBER 29, 2009

PRESS RELEASE: USASOC Soldiers killed in Helicopter Crash
U.S. Army Special Operations Command Public Affairs Office

FORT BRAGG, N.C. (USASOC News Service, Oct. 29, 2009) — Seven U.S. Army Special Operations Command Soldiers died Oct. 26, 2009 in western Afghanistan.

All the Soldiers died as a result of injuries received when the MH-47 Chinook helicopter they were flying in crashed.

Two of the Soldiers were assigned to 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) Fort Bragg, N.C. They are:

Sgt. 1st Class David E. Metzger, 32, native of San Diego, Calif., was a Special Forces communications sergeant.

Staff Sgt. Keith R. Bishop, 28, native of Smithtown, N.Y., was a Special Forces weapons sergeant.

Metzger is survived by his sons David and Grant, who reside in Fort Bragg, North Carolina. He is also survived by his parents David Metzger and Lisandra Holstein, as well as his grandmother Dolores of San Diego, Calif.

Bishop is survived by his wife Margaret of Flager Beach, Fla. and parents Robert and Suzan Bishop, of Carlisle Penn.

The remaining Soldiers were assigned to 3rd Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) headquartered at Hunter Army Airfield, Ga. They are:

Chief Warrant Officer 4 Michael P. Montgomery, 36, native of Redmond, Wash., was a pilot and electronic warfare officer.

Chief Warrant Officer 3 Niall D. Lyons, 40, native of Spokane, Wash., was a pilot and tactical operations officer.

Staff Sgt. Shawn H. McNabb, 24, native of Terrell, Texas, was an emergency care sergeant.

Sgt. Josue E. Hernandez-Chavez, 23, native of Las Vegas, Nev., was a flight engineer.

Spc. Nickolas A. Mueller, 26, native of Little Chute, Wis., was a flight engineer.

Montgomery is survived by his wife and son, Anita and Riley Montgomery, of Savannah, Ga; and his mother, Mary Montgomery, of Redmond, Wash.

Lyons is survived by his son John of Dothan, Ala.; his parents, John and Nuala Lyons, of Spokane, Wash.; and his brother, Kevin Lyons, also of Spokane, Wash.


McNabb is survived by his parents, David and Ann McNabb, of Terrell, Texas.

Hernandez-Chavez is survived by his father, Pedro Hernandez; his mother, Eustolia Hernandez, of Las Vegas, Nev.; and his two sisters, Cristina and Mayra Hernandez, both of Las Vegas, Nev.

Mueller is survived by his parents, Larry and Sharon Mueller, of Little Chute, Wis.

The incident is still under investigation to determine the cause of the crash. Names of the injured have not been released.
For further information, media should contact the U.S. Army Special Operations Command Public Affairs Office during duty hours at 910-432-6005 or continue to visit this website (http://news.soc.mil) for updates.

--usasoc--