A 40-year-old Army pilot was killed, and a second pilot was injured, in a helicopter training accident Wednesday evening at Fort Campbell in Kentucky, the Army post said.
The soldier killed was identified Friday by the 101st Airborne Division as Chief Warrant Officer 2 Dustin K. Wright.
In a post to social media earlier Friday, the 101st Airborne Division said the incident involving an AH-64 Apache helicopter had occurred in “preparation for the Army’s 250th birthday,” the festival and parade being held in Washington, D.C., to commemorate the Army’s 250th anniversary — that also coincides with President Trump’s 79th birthday.
However, in a follow-up post, the division said it wanted to “clarify” that the incident “occurred during a routine attack aviation training mission inside the Fort Campbell training area. The crew was not in direct support of Week of the Eagles or Army Birthday.”
A spokesperson for the 101st Airborne Division also told CBS News by phone Friday that the training exercise had “100% nothing to do with the birthday parade in D.C.” and was simply “happening while the Army prepares for the 250th birthday date.”
Week of the Eagles is an annual event that honors the heritage of the 101st Airborne Division.
The injured pilot was treated and released from Blanchfield Army Community Hospital for minor injuries, officials said.
No further details were provided. The incident is under investigation.
Wright joined the Army in 2010 and had served at Fort Campbell since May 2022. He was highly-decorated, having been awarded the Air Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal and the Army Parachutist Badge, among others, his division said.
“The entire 101st Combat Aviation Brigade grieves the loss of CW2 Dustin Wright,” Col. Tyler Partridge, commander of the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade, 101st Airborne Division, said in a statement Friday. “A former Infantryman, Dustin cherished every opportunity to be outside and support ground troops. He did so with strength and honor. We will forever cherish the memories of his service, and his legacy will live on in the hearts of all who knew him.”
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear was among those offering condolences to the family of the soldier who died.
“No matter how it happens, when we lose someone who has committed to serving our country, I know it hurts that family but it should hurt us all,” the Democratic governor said Thursday.
Kentucky state Sen. Craig Richardson, whose western Kentucky district includes the Fort Campbell area, said the soldier’s death was heartbreaking.
“This tragedy is a solemn reminder that the dangers our military faces are not limited to distant battlefields,” the Republican lawmaker said. “The call to serve brings risks at home, in training, preparation, and quiet readiness.”
The sprawling Fort Campbell post straddles the Kentucky-Tennessee line.
Leave a Reply