27-year-old Sergeant Andrew Southard from Arizona among the five Army soldiers killed in helicopter crash

PHOENIX – Tragic Helicopter Crash Claims Lives of Five Army Soldiers, Including One from Arizona

A routine training exercise overseas turned fatal on Friday, November 10, when a helicopter carrying five Army soldiers crashed into the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Among the victims was 27-year-old Sergeant Andrew Southard from Apache Junction, Arizona.

The U.S. Department of Defense has identified the incident as a “refueling training mission” that went horribly wrong. The group of soldiers, who were crew members of an MH-60 Black Hawk helicopter, lost their lives during the ill-fated exercise.

Sgt. Southard, a former student of Cactus Canyon Junior High and Apache Junction High School, was well-regarded by his peers and had a significant impact on people around the world.

Arizona soldier killed during Army training exercise

Five U.S. Army Special Operations aviation soldiers were killed during routine flight training over the eastern Mediterranean Sea, the U.S. Department of Defense said in a statement. Andrew P. Southard, a 27-year-old Apache Junction man, was identified as one of the victims.

One of Sgt. Southard’s close friends, Chance Schick, reflected on their friendship, describing Southard as an honest, hard-working man with a great sense of humor. Schick said, “He didn’t take life too seriously, that’s for sure. He always had his stuff in line. He definitely was a jokester. He was just caring. I think that’s the biggest thing. He was so humble about stuff. It was just easy to talk to him. He could relate to anything. He was from Arizona. I’m from Wisconsin. You could just talk to him like you’d known him for 20 years.”

The tragic incident occurred during a routine “refueling training mission” between Cyprus and Lebanon in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, according to the U.S. Department of Defense.

The five soldiers who lost their lives have been identified as 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, and Sgt. Cade M. Wolfe, 24, of Mankato, Minnesota.

Sgt. Southard leaves behind a wife, daughter, and stepson, according to Schick.

Sgt. Andrew P. Southard (Photo from US Army Special Operations Command)

Schick expressed his condolences to Southard’s family, emphasizing the deep bond Southard had formed with people across the country and overseas. He assured them of their unwavering support, saying, “I just hope that their whole family knows that the relationship Southard had with everyone across the country and overseas, it’s a statement to who he was, and we’re all here for her and them and whatever they need.”

The U.S. Army’s Combat Readiness Center is currently investigating the incident to determine its cause.