MENDON, New York (WABC) The U.S. Army has identified the three National Guard members who were killed in a helicopter crash during a training exercise after the remains of the troops were recovered from the rural upstate New York crash site, including one who was a native of Orange County.
The UH-60 Black Hawk medical evacuation helicopter crashed in a farmer s field in rural Mendon, south of Rochester, around 6:30 p.m. Wednesday. There were no survivors.
The aircraft and crew was assigned to C Company of the 1st Battalion, 171st General Support Aviation Battalion. The unit trains to perform aeromedical evacuation, and the crew had been conducting night vision goggle proficiency training in the local training area.
33 ROCHESTER, NY Three New York Army National Guard pilots were killed on January 20, when a UH-60 medical evacuation helicopter crashed in the town of Mendon, New York on the night of January 20, 2021.
Killed were: Chief Warrant Officer 5 Steven Skoda, Chief Warrant Officer 4 Christian Koch and Chief Warrant Officer 2 Daniel Prial.
The three Soldiers were conducting night vision goggle proficiency training.
The three were members of C Company of the 1st Battalion, 171st General Support Aviation Battalion, based at the Army Aviation Support Facility at the Rochester International Airport.
“These brave and dedicated Americans died while training for the noblest mission in the Army - that of search and rescue,” Major General Ray Shields, the Adjutant General said in an email to the force. “They lost their lives while training to save others.”
2 Read / Add Comments
One of three New York Army National Guard soldiers killed in a helicopter crash this week was a Hudson Valley native.
Chief Warrant Officer Two Daniel Prial, age 30, of Warwick in Orange County, was killed on Wednesday, Jan. 20, when the UH-60 medical evacuation helicopter based at the Army Aviation Support Facility at Rochester International Airport crashed in the Town of Mendon, which is about 17 miles south of Rochester, while on a routine training mission, killing all three pilots who were on board, said Colonel Richard Goldenberg the New York National Guard Public Affairs Officer.
Prial, a graduate of Warwick High School, had served in the Army since 2012 after earning a commission at the United States Military Academy at West Point.
MENDON, New York (WABC) The U.S. Army has identified the three National Guard members who were killed in a helicopter crash during a training exercise after the remains of the troops were recovered from the rural upstate New York crash site, including one who was a native of Orange County.
The UH-60 Black Hawk medical evacuation helicopter crashed in a farmer s field in rural Mendon, south of Rochester, around 6:30 p.m. Wednesday. There were no survivors.
The aircraft and crew was assigned to C Company of the 1st Battalion, 171st General Support Aviation Battalion. The unit trains to perform aeromedical evacuation, and the crew had been conducting night vision goggle proficiency training in the local training area.
A family s holiday party in Milmont Park, Delaware County, turned out to be its own superspreader event.
Skoda s awards included the Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the NATO Medal, the Meritorious Unit Citation, the Army Reserve Overseas Training Ribbon, the Department of State Superior Honor Award, the Humanitarian Service Medal, the Master Army Aviator Badge, the Air Assault Badge, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and the Coast Guard Presidential Unit Citation.
He was a friend and mentor to all the Soldiers in his unit, supporting the training and career progressions of hundreds of aircrews throughout his career, according to Soldiers at the flight facility.