Thursday, February 22, 2007

DoD Identifies Casualties from Chinook Crash

Feb. 21, 2007 – The Defense Department has identified seven soldiers who died Feb. 18 in southeastern Afghanistan when the Chinook helicopter they were in crashed.

Killed were:
-- Chief Warrant Officer Hershel D. McCants Jr., 33, of Arizona;
-- Chief Warrant Officer John A. Quinlan, 36, of New Jersey;
-- Sgt. Adam A. Wilkinson, 23, of Fort Carson, Colo.;
-- Spc. Travis R. Vaughn, 26, of Reinbeck, Iowa;
-- Spc. Brandon D. Gordon, 21, of Naples, Fla.;
-- Pfc. Ryan C. Garbs, 20, of Edwardsville, Ill,; and
-- Pfc. Kristofer D. S. Thomas, 18, of Roseville, Calif.

McCants, Quinlan, Wilkinson, Vaughn and Gordon were assigned to 2nd Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), Fort Campbell, Ky. Garbs and Thomas were assigned to 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Fort Benning, Ga.

The Chinook was transporting 22 people, including aircrew, at the time of the crash, DoD reported Feb. 18.

Eight servicemembers were killed. Officials had previously identified Air Force Tech. Sgt. Scott E. Duffman, 32, of Albuquerque, N.M., as being among the casualties. Duffman was assigned to the 24th Special Tactics Squadron, Pope Air Force Base, N.C. The crash is under investigation.

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