The two soldiers killed in Friday’s Apache helicopter crash on Fort Campbell have been identified by Army officials as Chief Warrant Officer 3 Ryan Connolly and Warrant Officer James Casadona.
Connolly, 37, served as an instructor pilot in the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade. A soldier since 2001, Connolly was the recipient of numerous awards, to include dual Air Medals, and had racked up deployments to both Afghanistan and Iraq.
Casadona, 28, was a pilot in the same unit. He joined the Army in 2012 and had only arrived at Fort Campbell this year.
The soldiers were killed when their AH-64E Apache went down during a routine training mission at the post situated on the Kentucky-Tennessee border. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
On Sunday, the commander of the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade said in a statement that the loss of Connolly and Casadona is a “great tragedy” to the unit.
“The Destiny Brigade has suffered a great tragedy and our thoughts and prayers go out to the families of the deceased,” said Col. Craig Alia. “This is an unfortunate event, and we are saddened by the loss of our fellow soldiers.”
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