2 National Guardsmen killed after military helicopter crash in Mississippi

Two Mississippi National Guardsmen on Friday were killed in a military helicopter crash that is under investigation, the Mississippi National Guard said in a news release, Report informs via CNN.

The National Guard AH-64 Apache helicopter crashed during a “routine training flight” around 2 p.m. near Booneville, Mississippi, according to the release.

One of the soldiers was assigned to A Company 1-149 Aviation Regiment Unit, and the second soldier was in D Company 2-151 Lakota Medical Evacuation Unit, Mississippi National Guard, according to the guard.

“Our paramount concern at this time is to ensure proper casualty assistance is conducted to support the surviving family members,” the Mississippi National Guard said in the release. “We are grateful to the first responders and safety crews who are still working the scene of the accident with local authorities. Like all accidents, this incident will be investigated.”

Mississippi Republican Gov. Tate Reeves said in a post on X that “Mississippi will always be grateful for their service and we will never forget them.”

The crash is the latest deadly military aviation incident in recent months.

Earlier this month, five Marines were killed when their helicopter, a CH-53E Super Stallion, crashed in a remote area of Southern California during a training flight. In December, the US military grounded its entire fleet of V-22 Osprey aircraft after eight airmen died when their CV-22 Osprey crashed off the coast of Yakushima Island, Japan.

In April last year, three US soldiers were killed and one was injured when two AH-64 Apache helicopters with the US Army’s 1st Attack Battalion, 25th Aviation Regiment collided after a training flight near Healy, Alaska. And last February, two Tennessee National Guardsman were killed after their UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter crashed during a training flight in northern Alabama.