OHIO — The Army has identified a Painesville native as one of five soliders who were killed in helicopter crash in Egypt this week.
Staff Sgt. Kyle Robert McKee, 35, died Thursday when his helicopter crashed during a peacekeeping mission in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula.
All five soldiers were part of an international force that monitors the four-decade-old Israeli-Egyptian peace agreement. The Multinational Force and Observers said the soldiers were on a routine mission.
The other four have been identified as:
- Capt. Seth Vernon Vandekamp, 31, from Katy, Texas
- Chief Warrant Officer 3 Dallas Gearld Garza, 34, from Fayetteville, North Carolina
- Chief Warrant Officer 2 Marwan Sameh Ghabour, 27, from Marlborough, Massachusetts
- Sgt. Jeremy Cain Sherman, 23, from Watseka, Illinois
Another American was injured during the crash.
The Army said the cause of the crash is still under investigation. On the day of the crash, the MFO said at that point there were no signs of an attack and it appeared to have been an accident. They believe it was a mechanical issue.
According to the U.S. Army, McKee enlisted in 2003. He's been deployed in Egypt since July 2020 and was previously in Korea, Afghanistan and Iraq.