SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A Sacramento man is among five U.S. servicepeople killed when a military helicopter crashed Friday over the eastern Mediterranean Sea during a training mission.
Chief Warrant Officer 2 Shane M. Barnes was identified Monday by the Department of Defense. He graduated from Jesuit High School in 2007, according to a student publication. His family said he played football and rugby. He also served on the student council and volunteered in the community.
“He captures the ethos at the heart of Jesuit spirituality and education: when we feel God’s unconditional love, we are compelled to make our lives a generous offering of service to others. Shane Barnes was a 'Man for Others,'" President Chris Alling said in a letter to the Jesuit community.
Barnes leaves behind his wife, who he met in flight school, and two girls, ages five and one.
Barnes graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Gonzaga University in 2011. The 34-year-old went to flight school at Fort Rucker, Alabama and became a UH-60L Blackhawk pilot. He was assigned to a 2-2 Assault Helicopter Battalion in Korea.
ABC10 spoke with Reanna Walton who served with Barnes in Korea. He was her platoon leader. She said he was an amazing leader and a joy to be around.
"His smile lit the room up. He had an awesome sense of humor and personality that everyone was able to connect with. He loved to train and he loved aviation; he also loved his soldiers and took care of us no matter what the need was," she said.
Later in his career, Barnes deployed to Afghanistan and multiple times to Iraq while assigned to the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne). Some of his awards and decorations include the Distinguished Flying Cross with Valor device, Air Medal with Combat device, Army Commendation Medal and several others.
The military's European Command said all five crew members on board were killed when the aircraft went down “during a routine air refueling mission as part of military training.”
The aircraft and soldiers were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), according to U.S. officials.
“We mourn the loss of these five incredible Soldiers, each of them a national treasure. They hail from rare patriotic families with deep military service ties that span multiple generations and formations,” said Lt. Gen. Jonathan Braga, commander of the U.S. Army Special Operations Command.
"Chief Warrant Officer Barnes chose this path of valor and service to others. As a nation, we owe him and his family a debt of gratitude. We must honor Chief Warrant Officer Barnes’ legacy – as a decorated soldier, father, husband, son, and member of the Sacramento community," Congresswoman Doris Matsui said in a statement.
Who were the 5 U.S. service members killed in a helicopter crash?
Chief Warrant Officer 3 Stephen R. Dwyer, 38, of Clarksville, Tennessee
Chief Warrant Officer 2 Shane M. Barnes, 34, of Sacramento, California
Staff Sgt. Tanner W. Grone, 26, of Gorham, New Hampshire
Sgt. Andrew P. Southard, 27, of Apache Junction, Arizona
Sgt. Cade M. Wolfe, 24, of Mankato, Minnesota
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement that “we mourn the tragic loss of five U.S. service members during a training accident in the Mediterranean Sea early Saturday morning."
“While we continue to gather more information about this deadly crash, it is another stark reminder that the brave men and women who defend our great nation put their lives on the line each and every day to keep our country safe,” Austin said.
It wasn’t immediately clear which military service the aircraft belonged to. The Air Force has sent additional squadrons to the region and the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier, which has an array of aircraft on board, has also been operating in the eastern Mediterranean.
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