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Cully, 35, was from Sparta, Missouri. Kraus, 39, was from
Sanibel, Florida. Scott, 25, was from Tacoma, Washington, and
Good, 23, was from Mount Vernon, Washington.
The helicopter was on a routine flight training west of Joint
Base Lewis-McChord, according to the U.S. Army Special
Operations Command.
The base is about 10 miles (16 kilometers) south of Tacoma under
the jurisdiction of the U.S. Army Joint Base Headquarters.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation. The skies in
the area were mostly clear with light winds from the south
around the time of the crash, according to the National Weather
Service.
The soldiers “embodied the unwavering dedication, selflessness,
and excellence that define the very spirit of the Army and Army
Special Operations,” Col. Stephen Smith said in the release.
They were part of the 160th Special Operations Aviation
Regiment, an elite team that does nighttime missions, when their
MH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crashed about 9 p.m.
The regiment’s mission is to organize, equip and employ Army
special operations aviation forces around the world, according
to the Army’s website.
“Known as Night Stalkers, these soldiers are recognized for
their proficiency in nighttime operations,” the website said.
“They are highly trained and ready to accomplish the very
toughest missions in all environments, anywhere in the world,
day or night, with unparalleled precision.”
This was the second deadly crash of this elite unit in recent
years.
Five Army aviation special operations forces were killed when a
helicopter crashed in the Eastern Mediterranean in 2023 during a
routine air refueling mission as part of military training. They
were all part of the Army’s 160th Special Operations Aviation
Regiment based at Fort Campbell, Kentucky.
In March 2024, two soldiers from the Joint Base Lewis-McChord
SOAR unit were hospitalized when their Apache helicopter crashed
at the base during a routine training exercise.
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