Sandstorm may have caused fatal Army helicopter crash

www.gomemphis.com ^ | February 26, 2003

[LBGA]

Pentagon officials said Tuesday a fierce sandstorm in Kuwait might have caused the fatal crash of an Army helicopter.

The UH60 Black Hawk went down about 1 a.m. Tuesday Kuwait time some 30 miles northwest of Kuwait City, where night training exercises were under way. The Army says the cause of the crash is under investigation, but strong winds and blinding sand were reported in the area overnight.

The Pentagon identified those killed Tuesday as Spc. Rodrigo Gonzalez-Garza, 26, of Texas; Chief Warrant Officer Timothy Moehling, 35, of Florida; Chief Warrant Officer John Smith, 32, of Nevada; and Spec. William Tracy, 27, of New Hampshire.

The helicopter was part of the 158th Aviation Regiment, 5th Battalion, of the 12th Aviation Brigade based in Giebelstadt, Germany.

The group is attached to V Corps' 11th Attack Helicopter Regiment, which is part of some 9,000 troops from the corps deployed as part of the recent U.S. buildup.

The accident highlights the difficulties of engaging in combat in a region renowned for its intense heat, ubiquitous sand and unpredictable winds. During Operation Desert Storm, sand and sweat were far worse adversaries than the Iraqi army for most GIs.

Tuesday's crash came almost 12 years to the day after a Feb. 21, 1991, accident during Operation Desert Storm in which seven troops died when their Black Hawk crashed during a sudden Saudi storm.

Even before the latest accident, U.S. troops now assembling in the region were bracing for the climate changes that accelerate in March and April. The Iraqi desert heats up to triple-digit temperatures and 60-mph dust maelstroms form. That is currently seen as the most likely timeframe for a U.S. attack on Iraq.

Although acknowledging the challenges of desert warfare, the Pentagon does not count weather as an unduly dangerous constraint.

Most military experts believe any war with Iraq would be intense but brief, with most of the fighting over in a month, if not far sooner. But if combat stretched into the hotter months, GIs would still be able to fight well, military leaders and analysts say.

"Many battles have been fought in the heat of summer," Secretary of State Colin Powell, the nation's top military leader during the 1991 Gulf war, said recently.

Anthony Cordesman, military analyst at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, agreed, saying the notion that U.S. troops would be significantly impaired is "militarily ridiculous."

[LBGA]

Thanks for pinging. These four who lost their lives should be known.

[LBGA]

Howdy, wardaddy. Thanks for the bump.

[Inspectorette]

Prayers for the eternal souls of these brave patriots, and prayers that their families will be comforted.

[wimpycat]

Thanks for the ping. I hope we don't have to read too many of these in the near future, if you know what I mean.

Something about using their boots to represent them in the memorial service brings a lump to my throat.

[mystery-ak]

sad bump

[ohioWfan]

Prayer bump!

[Molly Pitcher]

Thanks for the pings and reminders to note the names and faces of these brave ones!

[ohioWfan]

Prayer PING for our troops, and for the families of these who have fallen in the cause of freedom.

[Soaring Feather]

Prayers up.

[Search4Truth]

Breaks my heart. Prayers to the families of these brave men. God bless them all.

[LBGA]

Thank you for the bump and ping. And may your loved one stay safe.

[LBGA]

Thanks for your prayers for them and their families, and for the bump so that others will see their names and photos.

[ohioWfan]

Thank you, LBGA. He is in the hands of a loving, Sovereign God, and we are trusting that he will come back safely when this is over.

[azGOPgal]

My thoughts and prayers go out to these four men and their families. God Bless them for serving our great country. May they rest in peace.

[McLynnan]

Special prayers for these brave men and their families, and continued prayers for all our men and women who are hard at work protecting us. May God watch over all of them.

[LBGA]

Thank you, ohioWfan. We can only have faith that our loved ones will return. Thanks for honoring these who were lost.

[HairOfTheDog]

Please read this thread -- we HAVE to see the faces.

Thank you for your pings. Peace be with their families.

[LBGA]

Thanks for the prayer and bump.

[Victoria Delsoul]

May they rest in peace, and may the Lord grant unto them Eternal rest, and let perpetual light shine upon them.

[Lauratealeaf]

Great tribute to those who died. I really feel for their families. We lived in Germany for three years and my husband was on the headquarters staff for V CORPS. So, I know many of the wives and families of those who have deployed. A friend wrote me about the night they all shipped out. She said she wished all of the American people could have seen the farewells. She said, "maybe then, there wouldn't be any Americans against us." Really sad to hear this bad news.