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Pavehawk down in Afghanistan


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Guest Lockjaw25

:salut:

Are we sure it's an HH-60? I haven't seen the type ID'd in any of the articles yet.

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My best friend and best man in my wedding was on that helo... I won't go into anymore details obviously... My thoughts and prayers are with him and his family, and hope he makes a speedy recovery. Godspeed to his fallen brothers. :beer:

I never felt so helpless, and as I sit in my non-disclosed location in SW Asia, I have never felt so close yet so far away.

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DOD Identifies Air Force Casualties

The Department of Defense announced today the deaths of four airmen who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

They died June 9, near Forward Operating Base Jackson, Afghanistan, in a helicopter crash. Killed were:

Staff Sgt. Michael P. Flores, 31, of San Antonio, Texas, assigned to the 48th Rescue Squadron, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz.

1st Lt. Joel C. Gentz, 25, of Grass Lake, Mich., assigned to the 58th Rescue Squadron, Nellis Air Force Base, Nev.

Staff Sgt. David C. Smith, 26, of Eight Mile, Ala., assigned to the 66th Rescue Squadron, Nellis Air Force Base.

Senior Airman Benjamin D. White, 24, of Erwin, Tenn., assigned to the 48th Rescue Squadron, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base.

Him...Him

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Guest Rubber_Side_Down

Flores...and others.

We few, we happy few, we band of brothers. For he today that sheds his blood with me shall be my brother.

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It's really strange, because I'm not really connected to the military community yet. But a guy that was supposed to play poker with me canceled last night because he had just learned one of his best friends from HS was killed in a downed helicopter in Afghanistan. I remembered this thread and came back to look to see if it was the same incident. It is. 1st Lt. Joel C. Gentz, 25, of Grass Lake, Mich. :salut::beer: Thoughts and prayers be with the families.

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Thoughts and prayers to everyone in the CSAR community from all of us here at HeliOps.

Just remember everyone your efforts are not in vain and they ARE appreciated by all of us out there.

May they Rest in Peace and Godspeed.

Ned

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I went to Purdue wtih Joel Gentz. Even though I didn't know him for very long (he graduated a few years after me), he was one of the most impressive cadets I've ever met. I have no doubts that he was an outstanding officer and CRO.

The last time I saw him was at Fairchild. He was there as part of the CRO training pipeline, and I was there for SERE. He was very excited about the job he was training for, the bros he was working with, and the prospect of making a difference in the AOR. We spoke at length about the Pilot - Rescue relationship, and the things he mentioned about his training gave me confidence that bros like him would be ready to do incredible things to save pilots who were having really bad days.

Godspeed to these fine men. They will be missed. Joel: you were always hardcore and committed to excellence. Thank you for your sacrifice.

Edited by Fury220
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My best friend and best man in my wedding was on that helo... I won't go into anymore details obviously... My thoughts and prayers are with him and his family, and hope he makes a speedy recovery. Godspeed to his fallen brothers. :beer:

I never felt so helpless, and as I sit in my non-disclosed location in SW Asia, I have never felt so close yet so far away.

Sorry, Brother. I hope you close your eyes tonight knowing that we are with you in heart and soul, no matter where we all lay to sleep at the end of today.

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I went to Purdue wtih Joel Gentz. Even though I didn't know him for very long (he graduated a few years after me), he was one of the most impressive cadets I've ever met. I have no doubts that he was an outstanding officer and CRO.

...

Godspeed to these fine men. They will be missed. Joel: you were always hardcore and committed to excellence. Thank you for your sacrifice.

I'm another one of the Purdue guys on here and Gentz was two years ahead of me. To sum it up in just a couple of words - which is just barely the surface - he was an outstanding trainer and all around great person. Here's an article from his hometown paper about him: Family of First Lt. Joel Gentz shares memories of airman who died in Afghanistan

The duty that any member of the CSAR community undertakes is incredible and I truly am proud to serve with any and every one of you.

Edited by jango220
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