All Dead from B-52 Crash, USAF Confirms
USAF officials confirmed on July 24th that all six of the crew members of a B-52 Stratofortress that crashed into the Pacific Ocean at the beginning of this week had died.
Naming the crew, they said that two bodies recovered from the water had been identified.
Anderson Air Force Base, Guam
The aircraft involved in the crash was on deployment to Anderson Air Force Base, Guam. Having taken off earlier in the day, it was scheduled to perform at the Island’s July 21st Liberation Day event.
"Losing this bomber crew has been a tragedy felt by everyone here and across the Air Force", said Brigadier General Doug Owens, Commander of the Anderson AFB-based 36th Wing of the USAF.
Rescuers located the two bodies during a search operation launched soon after the incident, in which a variety of civilian and military assets were/ are participating.
B-52 Crew
The six military personnel aboard the B-52 have been named as:
- Major Christopher M. Cooper – Commander
- Major Brent D. Williams – Navigator
- Captain Michael K. Dodson - Co-pilot
- 1st Lieutenant Joshua D. Shepherd – Navigator
- 1st Lieutenant Robert D. Gerren - Electronic Warfare Officer
- Colonel George Martin - Flight Surgeon
US Military Airpower
The B-52 is a mainstay of US military airpower, and is set to continue serving with the Air Force until 2040.
The type – a veteran of conflicts including Vietnam and Operation Desert Storm – first flew in 1952, entering service three years later.
The last B-52 crash occurred 14 years ago, when an example was rehearsing for an upcoming airshow in Washington. Its fatal fall from the skies resulted in the deaths of all crew members on board.
Source – Armed Forces International’s US Correspondent
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