WASHINGTON — The Pentagon on Monday identified the five Army aviation special operations forces killed when their UH-60 helicopter crashed in the Eastern Mediterranean. The UH-60 is more commonly called Black Hawk.

The military’s European Command said the helicopter went down over the weekend during an air refueling mission as part of military training.

The U.S. has built up its force presence in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East in response to Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel. There are two carrier strike groups operating in the region. U.S. Air Force squadrons have received additional crews and warplanes, and U.S. special operations forces have been added to help Israel in efforts to rescue hostages taken into Gaza.

The five service members who died were Chief Warrant Officer 3 Stephen R. Dwyer, 38, of Clarksville, Tennessee; Chief Warrant Officer 2 Shane M. Barnes, 34, of Sacramento, California; Staff Sgt. Tanner W. Grone, 26, of Gorham, New Hampshire; Sgt. Andrew P. Southard, 27, of Apache Junction, Arizona; and Sgt. Cade M. Wolfe, 24, of Mankato, Minnesota.

The U.S. Army Special Operations Command shared pictures of the men in a Facebook post.

“We mourn the loss of these five incredible Soldiers, each of them a national treasure. They hail from rare patriotic families with deep military service ties that span multiple generations and formations,” said Lt. Gen. Jonathan Braga, commander of the U.S. Army Special Operations Command.

“This is devastating news that reverberates across the entire Special Operations community. Every loss is tough, but in this case, service to the Nation is truly a family business and it’s hard to express the amount of sorrow that we all feel right now. Our thoughts and prayers are with their families, their loved ones, and their fellow soldiers. Like the Special Operations community always does, we will wrap our arms around them, grieve with them, and promise to never forget them,” Braga said.

Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 Stephen R. Dwyer received his commission in 2009 from the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York. He served as a Field Artillery Commissioned Officer for six years before reverting to Warrant Officer and graduating from flight school in 2018. Dwyer joined the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) as an MH-60M pilot in Charlie Company, 1st Battalion. He completed the Regiment’s extensive assessment and training program, and became a Basic Mission Qualified pilot, mission planner, and instructor pilot in Charlie Company.

Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Shane M. Barnes graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington in 2011. Following graduation he attended flight school at Fort Rucker, Alabama where he successfully completed training to become an UH-60L Black Hawk pilot. Barnes was assigned to 2-2 Assault Helicopter Battalion in Korea where he excelled as a platoon leader and pilot in command. In 2015 following his tour in Korea and completion of the Aviation Captain’s Career Course, Barnes favorably assessed for the 160th SOAR (Abn). He completed “Officer Green Platoon” in 2016 and was assigned as an MH-60M pilot in Co. C,, 1st Bn.,160th SOAR (Abn.), where he served as a platoon leader and operations officer. In 2020 he resigned his commission and becoming a warrant officer. As an Instructor Pilot and Fully Mission Qualified pilot, Barnes significantly impacted the training aviators within the formation.

Staff Sergeant Tanner W. Grone enlisted in the Army in 2017 as 15T UH-60 “Black Hawk” repairer and was assigned to the 160th SOAR (Abn). After completing the Regiment’s extensive assessment and training program in 2018, Grone reported to Co. F, 1st Battalion, 160th SOAR (Abn) for service as an MH-60M Repairer. Six months later, Grone reported to Co. C, 1st Bn., 160th SOAR (Abn.) and served as a Flight Instructor and Fully Mission Qualified MH-60M Crew Chief.

Sgt Andrew P. Southard enlisted in the Army in 2015, as a 15T UH-60 “Black Hawk” Repairer. He was first assigned to the 1st Armored Division’s Combat Aviation Brigade at Fort Bliss, Texas upon completing advanced individual training. Southard later completed a 13-month rotation to Task Force Sinai in support of ongoing peacekeeping operations. After finishing his tour, he reported to Fort Campbell’s 101st Combat Aviation Brigade. Southard volunteered for assignment to the 160th SOAR (Abn) and after completing the Regiment’s extensive training and assessment program in 2023, he remained in 1st Bn., 160th SOAR (Abn) for service as an MH-60M Crew Chief.

Sgt. Cade M. Wolfe enlisted in the Army in 2018 as a 15T UH-60 “Black Hawk” Repairer and assigned to the 25th Combat Aviation Brigade at Wheeler Army Airfield, Hawaii upon completing advanced individual training. Wolfe completed the Regiment’s extensive assessment and training program and was assigned to 1st Bn., 160th SOAR (Abn) and served as an MH-60M crew chief.

“Chief Warrant Officer 3 Stephen Dwyer, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Shane Barnes, Staff Sgt. Tanner Grone, Sgt. Andrew Southard, and Sgt. Cade Wolfe were truly SOF professionals and are among the Nation’s finest Soldiers. Their loss has left an indelible void within this Regiment that will never be filled,” said Col. Roger P. Waleski Jr., commander of the 160th SOAR (Abn.).

Gov. Andy Beshear, D-Ky., recognized the sacrifice of the men on Monday morning in a post to X, formerly Twitter.

Army aviation special operations forces are assigned to the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment based at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. The group has almost 3,000 soldiers and over 200 aircraft, according to the U.S. Army Special Operations Command.

This is the latest crash involving Black Hawk helicopters.

On March 29, 2023, a pair of Black Hawk helicopters crashed near Fort Campbell during a nighttime training exercise. The pilots were using night-vision goggles during the exercise, Army officials said. Brig. Gen. John Lubas, the 101st Airborne deputy commander, has said the accident occurred while the helicopters were flying and not during a medical evacuation drill