The U.S. Army helicopter pilot who died in a helicopter crash on Wednesday was identified as 40-year-old Chief Warrant Officer 2 Dustin K. Wright.
The Army released Wright’s name on Friday, June 13. On June 11, Wright and another Army pilot were onboard an AH-64 Apache helicopter when it suffered an unspecified accident. Wright and the other pilot were the only two on the Apache. Wright was declared dead on the scene. He was assigned to the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault)
“The entire 101st Combat Aviation Brigade grieves the loss of CW2 Dustin Wright,” Col. Tyler Partridge, the commander of the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade, said in a statement. “A former infantryman, Dustin cherished every opportunity to be outside and support ground troops. He did so with strength and honor. We will forever cherish the memories of his service, and his legacy will live on in the hearts of all who knew him.”
The other soldier onboard suffered minor injuries in the accident, but is stable after being taken to the hospital, per the division. That soldier has not been identified. The incident is under investigation, the Army said.
Wright joined the U.S. Army in 2010. His decorations include the Army Commendation Medal with three oak leaf clusters, the Air Medal with “C” Device, the Army Achievement Medal with three oak leaf clusters, the Expert Infantryman Badge and the Army Aviator Badge, among others. He had been serving at Fort Campbell since May 2022.
The 101st Airborne Division added a follow-up to its initial release describing the mission where the incident occurred as a “routine attack aviation training mission,” not in direct support of the Army’s birthday. It did not provide any additional information on the nature of the deadly incident. Fort Campbell, the home of the 101st Airborne, straddles the border between Tennessee and Kentucky.
Wright is the second soldier in the 101st Airborne Division to die in an accident this month. On June 5, Sgt. Aaron Cox, 24, with the 2nd Mobile Brigade Combat Team, died in a vehicle accident while training in Hungary.
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