Afghanistan-10 soldiers 10th Mt.Div., Fort Drum,NY

[Guest]

May they rest in peace and may their families find the strength to carry on.

Ten Fort Drum soldiers killed in chopper crash

(Watertown, NY-AP, May 7, 2006) - Ten Fort Drum soldiers were killed in Friday's helicopter crash in Afghanistan, a spokesman for the 10th Mountain Division confirmed Saturday.

It was the deadliest day for Fort Drum soldiers since March 11, 2003, when a chopper crash on post killed 11 soldiers.

The soldiers' names and units will not be released for several days, Fort Drum spokesman Benjamin Abel said Sunday. Abel said to expect no comment Sunday from the Army about the crash.

The crash was the deadliest for U.S. forces in Afghanistan in a year and came at a time of increasing militant attacks.

The soldiers were killed Friday evening when their CH-47 Chinook transport helicopter crashed during combat operations in Afghanistan's rugged and remote Kunar province. There were no survivors.

The U.S. military said the helicopter was not downed by hostile fire.

"There were people on the landing zone, other aircraft in the air," Lt. Col. Paul M. Fitzpatrick, the 10th Mountain Division's chief public affairs officer, told the Watertown Daily Times on Saturday. "There was no enemy contact."

Lt. Tamara D. Lawrence, a spokeswoman for the U.S.-led coalition in Afghanistan, on Sunday said all 10 bodies had been recovered from the crash site, which could not be reached by road.

The helicopter crashed about 40 miles southwest of a large U.S. military base in the provincial capital of Asadabad.

The soldiers were conducting combat operations on a mountaintop landing zone as part of a hunt for al-Qaida and Taliban militants believed to be hiding in the mountainous terrain.

"It was night. There was some wind," Fitzpatrick said. "I couldn't say whether those were factors until the investigation is complete."

"Our hearts and prayers go out to the families and comrades of the soldiers who were involved in this crash," Maj. Gen. Benjamin Freakley, commander of the 10th Mountain Division and Fort Drum, said in a press release. "We must honor the courage and dedication of our soldiers by continuing our commitment to bringing peace and stability to the Afghan people."

Of the roughly 18,000 Americans serving in Afghanistan, about half are from the 10th Mountain Division.

[diegs717 0]

when will the list of the soldiers be up and where can i find it???....my best friend is in the 10th mountain division from fort drum and this is not very good news

[CHIEFPHIL 90]

Once all the notifications are done, you can find the list on the department of defense web site under news releases.

My thoughts go out to all that have lost thier lives over the last five years in the service of this country to protect us.

We should also keep in our thoughts , our brothers who are serving.

[ex-commish 490]

May they all rest in peace.

[Guest]

To follow up the posts by diegs717 and CHIEFPHIL, the DoD link for press releases on casualties is :

http://www.defenselink.mil/releases/

diegs, I pray that your friend is OK.