THE son of a pastor has been confirmed as one of nine soldiers who died after two Army helicopters collided during a training exercise.
Tim Gore, a North Carolina pastor, revealed that his son, Caleb Gore, died in the crash outside US Army base Fort Campbell in Kentucky and that he was expecting his first child.
Tim Gore, Caleb's father and a pastor in North Carolina, revealed the news in a Facebook post on Thursday.
"My precious son Caleb was killed in a tragic helicopter accident last night," Gore wrote.
"He was the light of my world and I have no words to express my grief right now."
In a separate post, the pastor explained that Caleb's wife, Haleigh Gore, was three months pregnant.
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"My son and his precious wife were expecting and it is a boy," he said.
"He will be here in about 6 months."
In pictures Tim posted on Facebook, Caleb can be seen wearing his US Army service uniform.
He is wearing a medic pin on his lapel, a parachutist badge, an air assault badge, and the rank insignia of a staff sergeant, along with several service ribbons and medals, though the Army has not confirmed his details.
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As The U.S. Sun previously reported, two medical evacuation helicopters from the 101st Airborne Division crashed in southwestern Kentucky about 60 miles northwest of Nashville.
The harrowing event occurred around 10pm EST and took the lives of everyone involved.
Officials at the Fort Campbell base nearby in Trigg County noted in a Facebook post that the helicopters were taking part “in a routine training mission when the incident occurred.”
They were flying in a "multi-ship formation under night vision goggles."
The helicopters were reportedly medical evacuation aircraft, although they weren't flying a medical evacuation drill at the time of the crash, according to Brig. Gen. John Lubas, deputy commander of the 101st Airborne Division.
No other civilian casualties or injuries were reported as both Black Hawks crash-landed in an open field.
Additionally, the crashed helicopters were just two of four in the exercise on Wednesday night, 101st Airborne Division spokesman Staff Sgt. Joshua Tverberg told CNN.
Tverberg explained that one of the other helicopters had landed to refuel while the other was flying ahead of the two that crashed.
'TWO BOOMS'
An eyewitness to the crash told WKDZ that they heard "a pop" and "two booms" from their home, located just a half mile away from the crash site.
There was reportedly little wind in the area at the time of the crash.
The cause of the crash has yet to be determined.
An investigation will seemingly ensue after a separate military team arrives from Fort Rucker in Alabama, according to Lubas.
The names of those that died in the crash, aside from Caleb, will be released periodically as Lubas intends to notify the soldiers' families first.
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said the community would come together to support each other after the crash.
"We’re going to do what we always do, we’re going to wrap our arms around these families, and we’re going to be there with them, not just for the days but the weeks and months and years to come," Beshear said in a news conference.
Army Secretary Christine Wormuth also said it has been "a heavy day for the Army" during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on Thursday.
"Thank you for your comments and thoughts and prayers for the families of our soldiers who were killed in the crash. Our hearts go out to them,” Wormuth added.
This helicopter incident comes just over a month after a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter slammed onto a highway in Alabama, killing two National Guardsmen.
The Tennessee National Guard was responsible for the aircraft and was running a training flight near Burwell Road in Huntsville, Alabama when the crash happened.
Soldiers Daniel Wadham and Danny Randolph were killed.
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For more on the military, check out The U.S. Sun's coverage of Major Scotty Mills, a man involved in the invasion of Iraq.
The U.S. Sun also has the story on how the United States recently launched its "largest-ever show of force."
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