The two soldiers killed in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan have been identified.
Chief Warrant Officer 2 David Knadle, 33, and Chief Warrant Officer 2 Kirk Fuchigami Jr., 25, were killed on Wednesday when their chopper went down in the Logar province, according to a release from the Pentagon. Knadle was a resident of Tarrant, Texas, and Fuchigami hailed from Keaau, Hawaii.
Both of the servicemen were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division based out of Fort Hood in Texas.
The statement said the two men were killed “while providing security for troops on the ground,” although exact details about the incident, including what caused it, have not been released. On Wednesday, the Pentagon said that it appeared the helicopter’s crash was not related to enemy fire.
Despite that, a Taliban spokesperson claimed the chopper was shot down as Afghan and U.S. forces prepared to launch an attack in the Logar province.
Officials are investigating the crash.
In total, 19 American soldiers have been killed in combat this year, marking the deadliest year for troops in the country since the end of Operation Enduring Freedom in 2014, when the combat mission in the country formally ended.
Some 14,000 U.S. military personnel still remain in Afghanistan. Many are working to support Afghan troops fighting Taliban insurgents.
