U.S. Army Names Soldiers Killed in Egyptian Helicopter Crash

(Bloomberg) -- The U.S. Army has identified five soldiers killed this week in a helicopter crash during a routine peacekeeping mission in Egypt’s Sinai region.

The Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk crashed during operations with the Multinational Force and Observers mission in the north west of Egypt on Thursday.

Those killed were Capt. Seth Vernon Vandekamp, Chief Warrant Officer 3 Dallas Gearld Garza, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Marwan Sameh Ghabour, Staff Sgt. Kyle Robert McKee, and Sgt. Jeremy Cain Sherman, the Army’s Central Command said in a statement on Saturday.

Also killed were one French and one Czech national, the State Department said on Friday. One U.S. peacekeeper survived the crash and was evacuated to an Israeli hospital, the Israel Defense Forces said.

Peacekeepers have been active in the Sinai region since 1981 to implement a peace treaty between Egypt and Israel.

The cause of Thursday’s crash is under investigation. The MFO has said it appeared to be “mechanical in nature.”

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