The US Army has identified the two pilots who died during a training exercise on Wednesday involving an AH-64E Apache helicopter near Salado, Texas.
Chief Warrant Officer 2 Deontre T. Huey and Warrant Officer Seth L. Olmstead were the victims of the crash, which occurred in a field roughly 30 minutes from Fort Hood. The incident sparked a wildfire in the area that required a large emergency response.
The two pilots had been participating in a training exercise as part of their duties with the 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division. Huey, who was 34 years old and from Killeen, Texas, entered the Army as a motor transport operator in 2014 and was assigned to his unit in February 2022. Olmstead, who was 25 years old and a native of Belton, Texas, had joined the Army in January 2023 as a warrant officer candidate.
The US Army's Fort Hood has released a statement expressing condolences to the families of the fallen soldiers. "Our hearts and deepest condolences are with the families of the Soldiers we lost Wednesday," said Lt. Gen. Kevin D. Admiral, III Armored Corps and Fort Hood commanding general. "In the difficult days ahead, our priority is to ensure these families and our Soldiers have the care and support they need."
The Army is investigating the crash, which was led by a safety investigation team from the US Army Combat Readiness Center in Fort Rucker, Alabama, who arrived on August 13.
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