Brigade hosts prayer group honoring soldiers killed in helicopter crash
The 34th Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade held a prayer group for the soldiers killed in a helicopter crash Thursday. (34th Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade)
(FOX 9) - The unit ministry teams of the 34th Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade held a prayer group Friday honoring the three soldiers killed in a helicopter crash near St. Cloud, Minnesota.
According to the Minnesota National Guard, the UH-60 Black Hawk was conducting a maintenance test flight Thursday afternoon when it went missing after a mayday call shortly after taking off. The National Guard lost contact with the aircraft officially at 2:05 p.m. The Minnesota Aviation Rescue Team and the Minnesota State Patrol responded to the report of the downed aircraft.
"This has been somber week for the Red Devils," the group posted on Facebook. "To pay our respects to our fellow Soldiers and find solace in our brothers and sisters in arms, the unit ministry teams of the 34th Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade hosted a special prayer group this evening, with Chaplain (CPT) Kevin Coder of the 2-147 Assault Helicopter Battalion leading the prayers."
The Minnesota National Guard identified the soldiers as Chief Warrant Officer 2 James A. Rogers Jr., age 28; Chief Warrant Officer 2 Charles P. Nord, age 30; and Sgt. Kort M. Plantenberg, age 28. All three soldiers were assigned to Company C, 2-211th General Support Aviation Battalion, based in St. Cloud.
Soldiers host a prayer group for the men killed in a helicopter crash Thursday near St. Cloud, Minnesota. (The 34th Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade)