CWOs David C. Knadle, Kirk T. Fuchigami Jr Killed in Afghanistan in Helicopter Crash

U.S. Forces official statements:

21 Nov

The Department of Defense announced today the deaths of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Freedom’s Sentinel.

Both soldiers died Nov. 20, 2019, in Logar Province, Afghanistan, when their helicopter crashed while providing security for troops on the ground. The incident is under investigation.

The deceased are:
Chief Warrant Officer 2 David C. Knadle, 33, from Tarrant, Texas.
Chief Warrant Officer 2 Kirk T. Fuchigami Jr., 25, from Keaau, Hawaii.

Both soldiers were assigned to 1st Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.

Two U.S. Service Members Killed in Afghanistan 

“20 NOV 2019Two U.S. Service Members Killed in Afghanistan 20 November 2019 KABUL, Afghanistan – Two U.S. service members were killed in a helicopter crash on November 20, 2019 in Afghanistan.

“The cause of the crash is under investigation, however preliminary reports do not indicate it was caused by enemy fire,” DOD press release stated

The Taliban claimed it had shot the aircraft down in the Charkh district of the eastern province of Logar at 1 a.m. local time, and that “all on board were killed,” RFE reported

A spokesman for the Afghan Defense Ministry rejected the Taliban claim, saying that “there was no involvement of the enemy fire in the helicopter crash. No Afghan security force member is hurt,” said the spokesman, Fawad Aman.

Nineteen U.S. service members have died in Afghanistan in combat-related incidents since the beginning of the year.  There are roughly 13,000 U.S. troops in the country, as well as thousands of European forces participating in the NATO-led Resolute Support mission, according to the RFE report

MORE HERE