Helicopter Crash Kills 4 Soldiers

Four soldiers who were part of a team that does nighttime missions were killed when the MH-60 Black Hawk helicopter they were aboard crashed this week near a military base in Washington state, Army officials said Friday. The helicopter was on a routine training mission west of the base when it crashed around 9pm Wednesday, Army Special Operations Command said, per the AP. The soldiers were part of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, Airborne, officials said.

Army officials said that recovery efforts are underway and that the cause of the crash remains under investigation. They said they would release the soldiers' names later. "Our hearts are with the families, friends, and teammates of these Night Stalkers," said Lt. Gen. Jonathan Braga, USASOC commander. The regiment's mission is to organize, equip, and employ Army special operations aviation forces around the world, according to the Army's website.

Law enforcement, firefighters and specialty personnel from the joint base, about 10 miles south of Tacoma, are conducting recovery efforts at the site of the crash, Braga said. The crash sparked a small wildfire that had grown to 1.25 acres by Friday morning, the Washington Department of Natural Resources said.