Go Back  Airline Pilot Central Forums > Career Builder > Military
F-15 Fighter Jet Crashes in Afghanistan >

F-15 Fighter Jet Crashes in Afghanistan

Notices
Military Military Aviation

F-15 Fighter Jet Crashes in Afghanistan

Old 07-18-2009, 01:58 AM
  #1  
Gets Weekends Off
Thread Starter
 
FlyArmy's Avatar
 
Joined APC: Aug 2007
Posts: 111
Default F-15 Fighter Jet Crashes in Afghanistan

KABUL — A U.S. military F-15E fighter jet crashed in Afghanistan early Saturday, killing two crew members, a U.S. military spokesman said.
A second fighter aircraft traveling with the jet that went down saw no evidence of enemy fire, U.S. military spokesman Col. Greg Julian said.
No fighter jets have crashed in Afghanistan in years. Militants are able to shoot down helicopters with rockets, but are not known to have the anti-aircraft weaponry necessary to bring down a high-flying jet.
The military says the F-15E crashed in eastern Afghanistan at about 3:15 a.m. Saturday Kabul time. The military did not immediately specify where the jet crashed. Many areas of eastern Afghanistan, which borders Pakistan, are filled with craggy mountains.
The crash will be investigated by a board of officers, the military said.
Meanwhile, bombs killed a dozen people in southern Afghanistan, including a British soldier and five children, authorities said, as U.S. and British officials consider sending more troops to combat the growing Taliban insurgency.
The five children were among 11 people who died Friday when a roadside bomb struck their vehicle in the Spin Boldak district of southern Kandahar province near the border with Pakistan, according to police Gen. Saifullah Hakim. var adsonar_placementId="1425871",adsonar_pid="1367767 ",adsonar_ps="-1",adsonar_zw=224;adsonar_zh=93,adsonar_jv="ads.ad sonar.com"; qas_writeAd();
The victims, all members of an extended family, were traveling to a local Muslim religious shrine for Friday prayer services, Gen. Hakim said.
Kandahar is the birthplace of the Taliban, and Gen. Hakim blamed the blast on the Islamic militants who plant bombs along roads in the area to target Afghan and foreign troops.
"Innocent civilians are dying as a result," he said.
In London, the British Ministry of Defense said a British soldier was killed Thursday when a bomb exploded near a foot patrol in Gereshk, an industrial city of Helmand province where fighting has been raging this month. The soldier's death brings to 48 the number of NATO soldiers killed in Afghanistan in July – the deadliest month for the international force since the war began in 2001.
The U.S. command, meanwhile, reported that Afghan and U.S. soldiers killed 10 insurgents Friday in Kunar province of eastern Afghanistan.
U.S. commanders had been expecting bigger losses since President Barack Obama ordered 21,000 additional U.S. troops to Afghanistan this year to curb a resurgent Taliban, which was ousted from power in the U.S.-led invasion of 2001.
About 59,000 U.S. troops are in Afghanistan, and the number is expected to rise to at least 68,000 by the end of 2009. The total international force numbers about 91,000 troops from 42 nations.
But the rising casualty tolls have prompted U.S. and British officials to consider whether to send more troops to Afghanistan to bolster security, especially around the Aug. 20 presidential election. Britain has about 9,000 troops in Afghanistan, including 700 sent this year to augment security for the election.
The chief of the British army, Gen. Richard Dannatt, said there was a case to be made for "a short-term uplift" in troop numbers until Afghan forces are properly trained and deployed – which he said could take another 12 to 18 months. He told BBC Radio that scaling down troop levels after the Afghan election would be the "wrong thing to do."
On Thursday, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said the U.S. could send more troops to Afghanistan this year than had been initially planned, although any increase would not be significant. The Obama administration had wanted to wait until the end of the year to decide whether to send more troops.
The new commander of U.S. and NATO forces, Gen. Stanley McChrystal, is nearing the end of a 60-day review of troop requirements in Afghanistan and will forward his recommendations to Washington.
Also Friday, a suspected U.S. missile strike killed at least five alleged militants in a remote area of Pakistan near the border with Afghanistan, Pakistani officials said. The U.S. has launched dozens of missile strikes in Pakistan's northwest border regions, which are used as safe havens by Taliban and al Qaeda fighters to launch attacks against American and NATO forces in Afghanistan.


RIP Gents...
FlyArmy is offline  
Old 07-18-2009, 04:56 AM
  #2  
Gets Weekends Off
 
BDGERJMN's Avatar
 
Joined APC: Nov 2006
Position: Walmart Greeter
Posts: 694
Default

My thoughts and prayers to their families, friends, and squadronmates. Having lost a friend and fellow JO in combat(Apr 02, 2003 OIF), it sucks.
BDGERJMN is offline  
Old 07-18-2009, 05:55 AM
  #3  
Gets Weekends Off
 
USMCFLYR's Avatar
 
Joined APC: Mar 2008
Position: FAA 'Flight Check'
Posts: 13,835
Default

My thoughts are with the family and friends of the crew.

USMCFLYR
USMCFLYR is offline  
Old 07-18-2009, 09:02 AM
  #4  
Gets Weekends Off
 
CAFB 04-12's Avatar
 
Joined APC: Feb 2006
Position: Various
Posts: 428
Default

Anyone know the unit?
CAFB 04-12 is offline  
Old 07-18-2009, 12:24 PM
  #5  
Gets Weekends Off
 
GunnF16's Avatar
 
Joined APC: Jan 2008
Posts: 127
Default

RIP and Godspeed.

From Seymour Johnson AFB - Home website:

7/18/2009 - SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. -- An Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle assigned to Seymour Johnson AFB crashed at approximately 3:15 A.M. Kabul time today in eastern Afghanistan.

At the time of the accident, the aircraft was conducting coalition operations. Officials have confirmed both crewmembers were killed in the crash.

Additional details will be provided as information becomes available. Names of casualties will be withheld pending next of kin notification.

A board of officers will investigate the accident.

For more information, contact 4th Fighter Wing Public Affairs at (919) 722-0027 or [email protected]
GunnF16 is offline  
Old 07-18-2009, 02:06 PM
  #6  
Gets Weekends Off
 
GBU-24's Avatar
 
Joined APC: Jan 2007
Posts: 418
Default

God's speed bros...
GBU-24 is offline  
Old 07-18-2009, 07:31 PM
  #7  
Working Class Dog
 
11Fan's Avatar
 
Joined APC: Jan 2007
Position: Spares Pusher
Posts: 1,668
Default

So little can be conveyed in words to those who pay the ultimate sacrifice - save for God rest your souls gentleman.

I thank you and I salute you.

Tomorrow, my flag shall wave at half mast in your honor.
11Fan is offline  
Old 07-18-2009, 08:20 PM
  #8  
Gets Weekends Off
 
HectorD's Avatar
 
Joined APC: Mar 2009
Position: PA-44 Left Seat :P
Posts: 219
Default

May these aviators rest in peace.
HectorD is offline  
Old 07-19-2009, 12:57 PM
  #9  
Gets Weekends Off
 
GunnF16's Avatar
 
Joined APC: Jan 2008
Posts: 127
Default

from af.mil:

7/19/2009 - WASHINGTON (AFNS) -- Department of Defense officials here July 19 announced the names of two Airmen who died supporting Operation Enduring Freedom in a nonhostile F-15E Strike Eagle crash July 18 near Ghazni Province, Afghanistan.

Killed were:
-- Capt. Thomas J. Gramith, 27, of Eagan, Minn. He was assigned to the 336th Fighter Squadron from Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C.
-- Capt. Mark R. McDowell, 26, of Colorado Springs, Colo. He was assigned to the 336th Fighter Squadron from Seymour Johnson AFB.

The crash occured at 3:15 A.M. Kabul time. The F-15E is a dual-role fighter designed to perform air-to-air and air-to-ground missions. The aircraft uses two crewmembers, a pilot and a weapon systems officer.

Additional details will be provided as information becomes available. A board of officers will investigate the accident.
GunnF16 is offline  
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
11Fan
Foreign
12
06-30-2009 07:33 AM
Justdoinmyjob
Regional
34
06-04-2009 11:05 AM
TPROP4ever
Flight Schools and Training
49
05-23-2009 03:36 PM
F172Driver
Hangar Talk
9
01-20-2009 04:35 AM
fireman0174
Foreign
2
10-12-2008 07:03 PM

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On


Thread Tools
Search this Thread
Your Privacy Choices