Two National Guard soldiers were killed Friday when the helicopter they were in crashed in Mississippi during a routine training flight, officials said. The soldiers were on an Apache AH-64 helicopter when it went down around 2 p.m. in a wooded area near Booneville in Prentiss County. Prentiss County Sheriff Randy Tolar confirmed the deaths, the Mississippi National Guard said.
“Our paramount concern at this time is to ensure proper casualty assistance is conducted to support the surviving family members,” the Guard said in a statement. One soldier was assigned to Alpha Company 1-149 Aviation Regiment Unit and the second was assigned to Delta Company 2-151 Lakota Medical Evacuation Unit, military officials said.
Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves offered his condolences to the families of the soldiers. “Tragically, both Guardsmen on board did not survive. Safety crews are currently working the scene of the crash with local authorities,” Reeves said in a statement. “Please join First Lady of Mississippi Elee Reeves and me in praying for the two Guardsmen and their families. Mississippi will always be grateful for their service and we will never forget them.”
Fox News Digital has reached out to the National Guard as well as local authorities. The Federal Aviation Administration referred inquiries to the National Guard.
The identities of the Guard members or the cause of the crash were not disclosed. Last week, a Utah Army National Guard helicopter crashed in what officials called a “training accident,” injuring two pilots onboard. The accident involved an AH-64D Apache Longbow helicopter that crashed at the West Jordan Army Aviation Support Facility.