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What we know about the Fort Campbell soldiers killed in Black Hawk helicopter crash
TRIGG COUNTY, Ky. (WKRN) — All nine Fort Campbell soldiers aboard two Black Hawk helicopters died Wednesday night after a crash during a routine training mission in Kentucky.
The two 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) medical evacuation helicopters crashed at about 10 p.m. in Trigg County, near Highway 68, according to Nondice Thurman, Media Relations Officer for Fort Campbell.
In a press conference Thursday, Brig. Gen. John Lubas said they were flying a multi-ship formation and using night vision goggles, but he did not provide any further details on the training mission.
Both helicopters wrecked in an open field across from a residential area. According to authorities, the debris field was sizable. However, Lubas said there were no additional casualties as a result of the crash.
New details are still emerging as specialized teams continue to investigate “every possible contributing factor” of the crash. The identities of all nine soldiers were released Friday afternoon after authorities finished notifying their families.
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Warrant Officer 1 Jeffery Barnes, 33, of Milton, Florida (Courtesy of U.S. Army) -
Warrant Officer 1 Aaron Healy, 32, of Cape Coral, Florida (Courtesy of U.S. Army) -
Staff Sgt. Taylor Mitchell, 30, of Mountain Brook, Alabama (Courtesy of U.S. Army) -
Staff Sgt. Joshua C. Gore, 25, of Morehead City, North Carolina (Courtesy of U.S. Army) -
Sgt. Isaacjohn Gayo, 27, of Los Angeles, California (Courtesy of U.S. Army) -
Sgt. David Solinas Jr, 23, of Oradell, New Jersey (Courtesy of U.S. Army) -
Chief Warrant Officer 2 Rusten Smith, 32, of Rolla, Missouri (Courtesy of U.S. Army) -
Chief Warrant Officer 2 Zachary Esparza, 36, of Jackson, Missouri (Courtesy of U.S. Army) -
Cpl. Emilie Marie Eve Bolanos, 23, of Austin, Texas (Courtesy of U.S. Army)
Those killed in the crash include:
- Warrant Officer 1 Jeffery Barnes, 33, of Milton, Florida
- Cpl. Emilie Marie Eve Bolanos, 23, of Austin, Texas
- Chief Warrant Officer 2 Zachary Esparza, 36, of Jackson, Missouri
- Sgt. Isaacjohn Gayo, 27, of Los Angeles, California
- Staff Sgt. Joshua C. Gore, 25, of Morehead City, North Carolina
- Warrant Officer 1 Aaron Healy, 32, of Cape Coral, Florida
- Staff Sgt. Taylor Mitchell, 30, of Mountain Brook, Alabama
- Chief Warrant Officer 2 Rusten Smith, 32, of Rolla, Missouri
- Sgt. David Solinas Jr, 23, of Oradell, New Jersey
“This is a time of great sadness for the 101st Airborne Division. The loss of these Soldiers will reverberate through our formations for years to come,” said Maj. Gen. JP McGee, commanding general of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) and Fort Campbell. “Now is the time for grieving and healing. The whole division and this community stand behind the families and friends of our fallen Soldiers.”
Here’s what we know about those killed in the crash so far. The list will continue to be updated as we learn more information.
Caleb Gore
Nexstar’s WNCN confirmed the identity of one of the victims, 25-year-old Caleb Gore. He is the son of Tim Gore, a pastor at Fremont Missionary Baptist Church, according to Dr. Keith Hudson of the Neuse Baptist Association in Wayne County, North Carolina.
In a statement shared with WNCN, the pastor said his son could not wait to join the Army and enlisted before graduating high school. He became an airborne medic, and his passion was search and rescue.
His father also shared that he was going to be a registered nurse soon and was taking leadership training. Thursday evening, people set up a memorial outside the church so the community could honor him.
Taylor Mitchell
Garrett Mitchell confirmed to Nexstar’s WKRN that his brother, 30-year-old Taylor Mitchell of Alabama, was one of the nine killed when the two Black Hawks crashed.
Born in Alabama, on, April 14, 1992, Mitchell enlisted in the Army from Mountain Brook, Alabama in 2014. Following basic training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, he was assigned to 2nd Calvary Regiment, Vilseck, Germany as health care specialist.
In 2017, Mitchell attended Flight Paramedic School at Fort Sam Houston, Texas. Mitchell subsequently served as a Flight Paramedic NCO 1st Combat Aviation Brigade at Fort Riley, Kansas.
Mitchell was assigned as a Flight Paramedic for the Combat Aviation Brigade, 101st Airborne Division since November of 2020. Mitchell served on two rotational tours in support of Atlantic Resolve, to Romania in 2019 and Germany in 2020.
Jeffery A. Barnes
Born in Florida on February 20, 1990, Barnes enlisted in the Army from Milton, Florida in 2010. He attended basic training in Fort Jackson, South Carolina and Advanced Individual Training at Fort Eustis, Virginia.
Barnes was subsequently assigned to 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade as a 15R, attack Helicopter Repairer in Savannah, Georgia. In February 2015 he was assigned as a squad leader in 2nd Combat Aviation Brigade at Camp Humphreys, Korea.
From 2016 through 2018 he served with 4th Combat Aviation Brigade, Fort Carson, Colorado. In 2019, Barnes served as an instructor at Fort Eustis, Virginia before attending the Warrant Officer Basic Course in 2020.
Barnes served as an Aeromedical Evacuation Pilot for the Combat Aviation Brigade, 101st Airborne Division since October of 2022. While assigned to 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade, Barnes deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.
Emilie Marie Eve Bolanos
Born in the Philippines on December 20, 1991, Bolanos enlisted in the Army from Austin, Texas in 2019. She attended basic training in Fort Jackson, South Carolina and Advanced Individual Training at Fort Eustis, Virginia.
Bolanos was assigned as a UH-60 Helicopter Repairer and UH-60 Air Crewmember for the Combat Aviation Brigade, 101st Airborne Division since March of 2020. In 2020, Bolanos served for nine months in Germany in support of Atlantic Resolve.
She graduated from Basic Leader Course in 2022.
Zachary G. Esparza
Born in Texas on September 26, 1986, Esparza enlisted in the Army from Jackson, Missouri in 2010. He attended basic training in Fort Jackson, South Carolina and Advanced Individual
Training at Fort Gordon, Georgia.
Upon graduation, Esparza served in Okinawa, Japan from 2011 to 2012. In 2013, Esparza
was assigned to the 4th Infantry Division as a Signal Support Specialist. Esparza attended Aviation Warrant Officer Basic Course in 2015 and graduated as a UH-60M pilot at Fort Rucker, Alabama.
In 2017, Esparza served as an Aeromedical Evacuation Pilot with the 25th Combat Aviation Brigade in Wheeler Army Airfield, Hawaii. Esparza served as a pilot in command in 2020 with Task Force Sinai in Egypt.
He was then assigned to the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade in 2021. Esparza served as an Instructor Pilot for the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade, 101st Airborne Division since October of 2021.
Esparza deployed to Afghanistan in support of International Security Assistance Course from
2013 to 2014 and served 10 months in Egypt as part of Task Force Sinai. He also served two
overseas tours in Japan and Hawaii.
Isaac J. Gayo
Born in the Philippines, on September 1, 1995, Gayo enlisted in the Army from Los Angeles, California in 2019.
He attended basic training in Fort Jackson, South Carolina and Advanced Individual Training at Fort Eustis, Virginia. Gayo was subsequently assigned to Camp Humphreys, Korea in 2019 as a UH-60 Crew chief.
Gayo served as a UH-60 Helicopter Repairer, UH-60 Air Crewmember, and UH-60 Crew Chief for the Combat Aviation Brigade, 101st Airborne Division since October of 2020. He graduated from the Basic Leader Course, Air Assault School and received a Field Sanitation Team Certification.
Aaron M. Healy
Born in Florida, on March 18, 1991, Healy enlisted in the Army from Cape Coral, Florida in 2010. Healy attended basic training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina then Army Ordnance School at Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland.
Upon graduation, he was assigned to the 563rd Aviation Support Battalion at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. In 2016 Healy was assigned to the 725th Support Battalion at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska.
He was then assigned in 2019 to the Wheel Maintenance Training Department in Fort Lee, Virginia. In 2021 Healy attended Warrant Officer Candidate School and Aviation Training at Fort Rucker, Alabama and was subsequently assigned to the 101st Airborne Division.
Healy served as an Aeromedical Evacuation Pilot for the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade, 101st Airborne Division since of 2022. Healy deployed to Afghanistan in 2011 to 2012 and in 2014 in support of the International Security Assistance Force.
Rusten R. Smith
Born in Florida, on August 7, 1990, Smith enlisted in the Army from Rolla, Missouri in 2012. After attending basic training, Smith attended Advanced Individual Training at Fort Huachuca, Arizona.
He was then assigned to the 163rd Military Intelligence Battalion at Fort Hood, Texas, as a Human Intelligence Collector.
From there, Smith completed Warrant Officer Basic Course and Aviation Training at Fort Rucker, Alabama and was then assigned to the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade, 101st Airborne Division.
Smith served as an Instructor Pilot for the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade, 101st Airborne Division since of 2022.
Smith deployed twice to Afghanistan, first in 2013 in support of the International Security Assistance Force and again from 2018-2019 in support of Resolute Support Mission. Smith also served for nine months in Germany in 2020, in support of Atlantic Resolve.
David M. Solinas Jr.
Born in New Jersey on May 1, 1999, Solinas enlisted in the Army from Oradell, New Jersey in 2018. Following basic training, at Fort Sill, Oklahoma he attended Advanced Individual Training at Fort Sam Houston, Texas.
Solinas was subsequently assigned as a Combat Medic with 2nd Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division, Ft. Bragg, North Carolina. Solinas served as a Flight Paramedic for the Combat Aviation Brigade, 101st Airborne Division since October 2022.
He graduated from Airborne School; Brigade Combat Team Training; Basic Leader Course; Critical Care Paramedic Course; Army Medical Department Crewmember Course; Unit Prevention Leader Training; Field Sanitation Team Certification.
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