US military helicopter crashes near N. Korea border

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

UPDATE (Apr.16.):

A U.S. Marine Super Stallion helicopter made a hard landing during joint U.S.-South Korea exercises Tuesday near Seoul, officials said. No deaths were reported.
Initial reports indicate the personnel, including five crew members, were on board the CH-53E when it executed a hard landing, the U.S. Defense Department said.
All on board were transported to a hospital in Yongsan, South Korea, the military said. Several hours after the crash, 15 were released and six others were listed in stable condition. The extent of their injuries wasn't reported.
The crew is from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit stationed in Okinawa, Japan.
"A comprehensive investigation will take place to determine the facts and circumstances surrounding this incident," the Pentagon said in a release.
The report said the helicopter, described as a heavy lift aircraft capable of carrying dozens of troops, made a hard landing near Jipo-ri Range, about 55 miles north of Seoul.
Yonhap reported the helicopter caught fire after the U.S. military personnel escaped. Most of the aircraft was destroyed, military officials said.
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SEOUL: A US military helicopter taking part in a joint South Korea-US drill crashed Tuesday near the North Korean border with no apparent casualties, officials said.

A US military official identified the aircraft as a CH-53 US Marine helicopter that was carrying three crew and 13 other personnel during a training exercise.

No casualties were reported.

The Yonhap news agency had previously identified the helicopter as a UH-60 Black Hawk with 12 personnel on board.

The US official described the crash as a “hard landing” in Cheolwon county, which touches on the border with North Korea.

The Korean peninsula is currently at a state of heightened military tensions, partly due to North Korea’s anger over the ongoing South Korea-US military exercises, which it sees as an invasion rehearsal.

There are 28,500 US military personnel permanently stationed in South Korea.

from DAWN
(2 hours ago)

---
from XINHUA:

2013-04-16 14:10:07
SEOUL, April 16 (Xinhua) -- There was no casualty reported after a U.S. military helicopter crashed in South Korea's northern province of Kangwon, local media reported Tuesday.

The U.S. helicopter crashed near a shooting range in Cheolwon, a town in Kangwon Province close to the inter-Korean land border, as of 1:04 p.m. local time, according to the Yonhap News Agency.

A total of 14 U.S. troops were aboard the UH-60 Black Hawk, but all crews succeeded in their emergency escape before the crash.

The military estimated the crash occurred while the helicopter landed. A total of six helicopters, including the crashed one, were doing their flight training from 11:00 a.m. local time.

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Afghan policeman kills 2 British soldiers in Helmand

British Soldiers patrol Helmand Province. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

By Bill Roggio - September 15, 2012 - LWJ

An Afghan policeman killed two British soldiers and wounded four more today before being killed himself in return fire in the southern province of Helmand. The attack is the latest in the long string of so-called green-on-blue incidents, or insider attacks, in which Afghan security personnel have killed or wounded members of the International Security Assistance Force. There have been nearly 60 such attacks reported since 2008.

"An individual believed to be an Afghan Local Police member turned his weapon against International Security Assistance Force service members in southern Afghanistan today, killing two," the International Security Assistance Force stated in a press release. "An ISAF service member returned fire, killing the attacker."

ISAF did not state the nationality of the soldiers who were killed, but TOLONews reported that the troops were British. The attack took place in the Gereshk district.

At the beginning of September, training for more than 1,000 new recruits for the Afghan Local Police was suspended by the US's Special Operations Command after five of its soldiers were killed over the course of a week in August. The Afghan Local Police force is an initiative that provides support to Afghans so they can provide security for their own villages. The ALP have been described as vital to ISAF's strategy. The ALP are to provide security in key districts as foreign troops continue withdrawing from Afghanistan.

Today's green-on-blue attack, or insider attack, as ISAF has begun calling them, occurred close to Camp Bastion, where the Taliban executed a suicide assault last evening. A team of 20 jihadists penetrated the perimeter of Camp Bastion, killed two US Marines, and damaged several military aircraft, a hangar, and buildings.

Camp Bastion was also the scene of a green-on-blue attack in March, when an Afghan interpreter hijacked an SUV and then attempted to run down a group of US Marines, including a major general, at the airfield. The attack took place just before Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta's plane was scheduled to land. The attacker crashed his truck and then set himself on fire; the attacker's brother and father, also interpreters, were both detained, as was another person also said to be an interpreter. One British soldier was wounded during the attack.

The last green-on-blue attack took place on Aug. 28 on a base in neighboring Uruzgan province. An Afghan soldier gunned down three Australian soldiers and wounded two more. The attacker, a recent recruit named as Sergeant Hikmatullah, climbed over the base's fence after the attack and ran away.
Helmand province has seen the greatest number of green-on-blue attacks. Of the 58 reported attacks since 2008 in Afghanistan, 16, or 28%, have occurred in Helmand. A significant number of green-on-blue attacks have also taken place in Kandahar province, where there have been nine attacks, or nearly 16% of the total number.

Read more: http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2012/09/afghan_policeman_kil_1.php#ixzz26ZxLIrqQ

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Marines bid farewell to friend, brother - Cpl. Joshua R. Ashley

Regional Command Southwest
Story and photos by Cpl. Mark Garcia

CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan – On a quiet Friday afternoon, more than 100 coalition servicemembers gathered to honor Sgt. Joshua R. Ashley, a fallen comrade during a memorial ceremony in the Regional Command Southwest chapel, Aug. 17.

Before the ceremony, Marines constructed a traditional field memorial providing them the opportunity to pay their final respects. The memorial consisted of a kevlar with identification tags signifying never to forget Ashley, a rifle with a bayonet upside down signifying a time of prayer and a break in action to pay tribute and a pair of boots signifying this was Ashley’s last march.
 

Ashley, from Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., was a dog handler with Military Working Dogs Platoon, Headquarters and Supply Company, 1st Law Enforcement Battalion (Forward), I Marine Expeditionary Force Headquarters Group (Forward). He was killed in action July 19 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province. During the ceremony fellow dog handlers and friends spoke of the man and Marine Ashley was and what they would remember most about him.

read more and watch more photos on ApacheClips.com:
http://www.apacheclips.com/boards/showthread.php?15669-Marines-bid-farewell-to-friend-brother-Cpl-Joshua-R-Ashley

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R.I.P. - Capt. Matthew P. Manoukian, Gunnery Sgt. Ryan Jeschke, Staff Sgt. Sky R. Mote

DOD Identifies Marine Casualties
            The Department of Defense announced today the deaths of three Marines who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

            They died Aug. 10 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.  These Marines were assigned to 1st Marine Special Operations Battalion, Camp Pendleton, Calif.

            Killed were:

            Capt. Matthew P. Manoukian, 29, of Los Altos Hills, Calif.,

            Gunnery Sgt. Ryan Jeschke, 31, of Herndon, Va., and

            Staff Sgt. Sky R. Mote, 27, of El Dorado, Calif.

            This incident is under investigation.

            For additional information on these Marines, news media representatives may contact Marine Corps Special Operations Command public affairs office at 910-440-0770.

---

Capt. Matthew P. Manoukian

from PanARMENIAN.Net
August 11, 2012 - 14:04 AMT

- A Camp Pendleton-based special operations captain was one of three Marines fatally shot before dawn Friday, August 10 in Helmand province by an Afghan police officer who had just shared a meal with them, UT San Diego said.

It was the third attack on coalition forces by their Afghan counterparts in a week.

Capt. Matt Manoukian, 29, of Los Altos Hills was killed along with two other yet-to-be-identified special operations troops after an Afghan police commander invited them to a meeting to discuss security issues. The meeting followed the meal, which took place early because of daytime fasting restrictions during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.

The “green-on-blue” attack occurred in the volatile Sangin district of Helmand province, said U.S. military spokeswoman Maj. Lori Hodge. Sangin was a Taliban stronghold for years and has one of the highest concentrations of improvised explosive devices in Afghanistan.

Manoukian, the son of two judges, joined the Marine Corps about seven years ago. He was on his fourth combat deployment — including his second in Afghanistan.

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from washington.cbslocal:
August 13, 2012 6:45 PM

Gunnery Sgt. Ryan Jeschke

WASHINGTON (CBSDC/AP) — The Pentagon says a 31-year-old from northern Virginia was one of three marines killed in Afghanistan last week.

Gunnery Sgt. Ryan Jeschke of Herndon, Va., died Friday while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.

Jeschke was assigned to 1st Marine Special Operations Battalion, Camp Pendleton, Calif.

Twenty-nine year-old Matthew P. Manoukian of Los Altos Hills, Calif. and 27-year-old Staff Sgt. Sky R. Mote of El Dorado, Calif. were also killed.

-----

Staff Sgt. Sky R. Mote

from eldoradohills.news10
Submitted by Paul Janes, News 10 Web Producer
Monday, August 13th, 2012, 1:56pm

EL DORADO, CA -
On Monday, the U.S. Department of Defense announced the death of Staff Sgt. Sky R. Mote of El Dorado.

Mote, 27, was killed Aug. 10 during combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 1st Marine Special Operations Battalion out of Camp Pendleton, California, and served in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

A nine-year veteran, Mote joined the Corps in July 2003.

Following boot camp, Mote became a bulk fuel specialist before advancing to an explosive ordinance disposal technician in 2007.

He joined the United States Marine Corps Special Operations Command in August 2009.

Mote's military achievements included a Purple Heart, a Navy-Marine Corps Commendation Medal, a Navy-Marine Corps Achievement Medal, two Combat Action Ribbons and three Good Conduct Medals.

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MV-22 Osprey Crashes during Military Exercise

Seal of the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Apr 11, 2012 — An MV-22 Osprey operating from the amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7) crashed in a Royal Moroccan military training area southwest of Agadir, Morocco, while participating in the bilateral Exercise African Lion. Four U.S. Marine Corps personnel were on the aircraft at the time of the incident. Two personnel died as a result of their injuries sustained in the crash. The two other personnel were severely injured in the crash and are being medically evacuated for further treatment.

The MV-22 Osprey was assigned to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 261 based at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) New River, NC. The squadron was operating from the amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7) at the time of the incident.

The Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) with the embarked 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), are participating in Exercise African Lion, a bilateral exercise conducted with Royal Moroccan military forces. The annual exercise is scheduled to be conducted April 8-17, 2012, in a designated military training area southwest of Agadir, Morocco.

Exercise African Lion is a bilateral, theater security cooperation exercise led by U.S. Marine Forces Africa and is conducted annually between the U.S. military and the Kingdom of Morocco to further develop joint and combined capabilities. The exercise will focus on building capacity, capability, and interoperability in the following areas: field and aviation training, humanitarian civic assistance, amphibious landings, intelligence capacity building, and command post and peace support operations.

The cause of the incident is under investigation.

For more information on the incident, please contact HQMC, Division of Public Affairs at 703-614-4309 or ontherecord@usmc.mil.

Read more:  http://www.africom.mil/getArticle.asp?art=7767&lang=0

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Marine copters crash, killing 7 (updated)

Image via Wikipedia

Two Marine helicopters collided at the Yuma Training Range Complex on Wednesday, killing seven Marines in one of the worst training accidents in recent years.

The helicopters that collided — an AH-1W “Cobra” and a UH-1Y “Huey” — were conducting routine training operations around 8 p.m. Wednesday in a remote area of the Yuma complex, the Marine Corps said in a statement Thursday. Both helicopters belonged to the the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing.

The complex covers airspace and lands in southwestern Arizona and southeastern California, including the Chocolate Mountain Aerial Bombing and Gunnery Range in California. The Associated Press reported that the two helicopters crashed in the Chocolate Mountains.

Such training accidents are relatively rare. In July a UH-1Y “Huey” crashed at Camp Pendleton, Calif., killing one Marine and wounding five others. At the time, Marine officials said the crash was believed to be the first one involving the UH-1Y since it joined the Marine Corps inventory in 2008.

Identities of the Marines in Wednesday’s crash will be withheld until next of kin have been notified.

The incident is currently under investigation, a Marine press statement said.

FOXPhoenix had a full story here: http://www.myfoxphoenix.com/dpp/news/war_room/7-marines-killed-after-choppers-collide-02232012

---

from ARMYTimes:

Six of the Marines were assigned to a unit at Camp Pendleton, Calif., part of 3rd Marine Air Wing based at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, Calif. One Marine was based at Yuma. Their units have not been identified.
The Yuma-based Marine was a captain, instructor and pilot, according to Col. Robert Kuckuk, commander at MCAS Yuma.

The captain had “risen to the pinnacle of Marine aviation in his field,” Kuckuk said at news conference Thursday afternoon at MCAS Yuma.
Identities of the Marines will not be released until 24 hours after the next of kin has been notified.
The Cobra and Huey were both carrying explosives and were training together, along with at least two other aircraft. The Huey and Cobra collided 65 miles northwest of MCAS Yuma, Kuckuk said.
The crash site was in the Chocolate Mountain Gunnery Range, which is used for explosives training, Kuckuk said.
Aerial views of the crash Thursday afternoon showed several trucks amid the charred remains of the helicopters.
Capt. Staci Reidinger, director of public affairs at MCAS Yuma, said that the crash area is not a populated area.
Kuckuk said that the rugged desert mountain terrain “simulates Afghanistan very, very well.”
The Marines were likely using standard night-vision goggles during the mission. Kuckuk said that the goggles limit depth perception and don’t allow for a clear horizon.
“We train to those limitations ... we understand those risks. We take steps to mitigate those risks,” he said.
Typically the Cobra aircraft carries a pilot and a co-pilot and is used by the Marine Corps. The twin-engine aircraft has been used in combat in the Vietnam War by U.S. forces, as well as in Grenada.
The helicopter is known for its capability to operate during the day and night, in land- and sea- based operations, and in adverse weather conditions. Its ability to withstand desert conditions protected the aircraft during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm.
Cpl. Steven Posy, a MCAS Miramar spokesman, said Thursday that the weather “was pretty mild last night.”

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R.I.P. - Cpl. Christopher G. Singer

DOD Identifies Marine Casualty

            The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

            Cpl. Christopher G. Singer, 23, of Temecula, Calif., died Jan. 21 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.  He was assigned to 3rd Combat Engineer Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Twentynine Palms, Calif.

            For additional information news media representatives may contact the 1st Marine Division public affairs office at 760-725-8766.

---

U.S. Marine Cpl. Christopher Singer, 23, a Chaparral High School graduate, died from injuries sustained in a firefight Saturday while serving in Afghanistan, family members said Monday.
Singer, a member of the 3rd Battalion, 7th Regiment, was shot while on patrol near Sangin, a dangerous province in southern Afghanistan, said Singer's uncle, Steve Welty. He was attended to by a medic and a corpsman at the scene. They were flying him to a hospital and he died on the operating table, Welty said.
Singer, a member of Chaparral High's class of 2007, joined the Marines shortly after graduation. Welty said Singer had long sought to be a member of the Corps. He could frequently be found wearing camouflage gear when he was growing up, and he used to play Marine with his friends. He also participated in Chaparral's Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps program. From the time he was the littlest guy, he always wanted to be a Marine, Welty said. Singer, a Christian who loved working on antique engines with his grandfather, spent much of his early military career at Camp Pendleton and the base at Twentynine Palms, serving as a military police officer during that stint. After his recovery from a knee injury and his re-enlistment in August, he was deployed to Afghanistan in September.
Before leaving, Welty said, Singer left a message with his wife, Brooke Singer, the mother of their 2-year-old daughter, Briyana. He said, 'If I die, I don't want people to mourn me. I want people to know I did everything I wanted to do in life and died doing what I loved,' Welty said.
Brooke and Christopher Singer, the son of Marlene Shaw and Greg Singer, were married on Jan. 29, 2009. Singer was a football fan who listed allegiances to both the Super Bowl-bound New England Patriots and San Diego Chargers on his Facebook page. Welty, a Chargers fan, said that when the Patriots beat the Chargers, however, Singer would let him hear about it. Like many members of his generation, Singer played video games such as Halo and Call of Duty. Welty said the skills he picked up playing Call of Duty, in particular, came in handy when Singer was going through basic training in San Diego. He was one of the best in his group at shooting targets while on the move, Welty said.

U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Nathaniel Kiser, a former roommate and one of Singer's best friends, said he lived with Brooke and Christopher Singer at Camp Pendleton after returning from a deployment to Afghanistan in 2010. Like Singer, Kiser is a combat engineer, a role with the Corps that includes sweeping for mines, demolition, construction and a host of other jobs.
Kiser said he a got a chance to talk to Singer on the phone a couple of times during his deployment and he said it seemed his friend was really taking to field work, even though much of it is extremely dangerous. I love this. I love doing this stuff, he recalled Singer saying. During their time together on base, Kiser said he spent a lot of time with the Singers, playing Halo with Brooke and Christopher, rocking out to whatever was cranking on the radio and getting dressed up for nights on the town.

There also were quieter moments, he said. Sometimes, if one the friends had had a bad day, they would just go for a walk. We'd cheer each other up and stuff, he said. Although it felt good to share stories of the good times, Kiser said he was struck by the finality of those memories. We're not going to have him anymore, he said. Funeral arrangements have not been completed, but Welty said Singer will be buried at Riverside National Cemetery.
The family, which includes sister Jessica Shaw and brother Jordan Singer, also is working on setting up a trust for Briyana. Anyone interesting in contributing can send an email to fund4briyana@gmail.com
U.S. Marine Corps First Lt. Sin Carrano said Monday that Singer received the Marine Corps Good Conduct medal, Afghanistan Campaign medal, Global War on Terrorism Service medal and the National Defense Service medal.

(Call staff writer Aaron Claverie at 951-676-4315, ext. 2624. Like The Californian's Temecula Facebook page and follow The Californian's Temecula Twitter feed @Temecula_CAL to get breaking local news and top stories of the day. )

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