Following the official notification of their families, Fort Campbell officials have released the names of all nine 101st Airborne Division soldiers who tragically died in Wednesday night’s two-helicopter crash in western Trigg County.
Warrant Officer 1 Jeffery Barnes, 33, from Milton, Florida.
Cpl. Emilie Marie Eve Bolanos, 23, of Austin, Texas.
Chief Warrant Officer 2 Zachary Esparza, 36, of Jackson, Missouri.
Sgt. Isaacjohn Gayo, 27, of Los Angeles, California.
Staff Sgt. Joshua Caleb Gore, 25, of Morehead City, North Carolina.
Warrant Officer 1 Aaron Healy, 32, of Cape Coral, Florida.
Staff Sgt. Taylor Mitchell, 30, of Mountain Brook, Alabama.
Chief Warrant Officer 2 Rusten Smith, 32, of Rolla, Missouri.
Sgt. David Solinas Jr., 23, of Oradell, New Jersey.
Currently deployed to southeast Europe, Commanding Maj. Gen. JP McGee writes in a statement that this is a time of “great sadness” for the 101st Airborne Division. “The loss of these Soldiers will reverberate through our formations for years to come. Now is the time for grieving and healing. The whole division and this community stand behind the families and friends of our fallen Soldiers.”
The pair of HH-60 Blackhawks were in a planned training exercise, and an investigation continues into its cause.
