Two C-17s arrived at Dover AFB, Del., Aug. 9, carrying the remains of the service members killed in the Aug. 6 helicopter crash in Afghanistan. Air Force Undersecretary Erin Conaton, Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Philip Breedlove, and CMSAF James Roy paid their respects along with President Obama and other military leaders during the dignified transfer. About 90 family members also attended the ceremony, according to press reports. The Pentagon has launched an investigation into the CH-47 Chinook crash that resulted in the death of 30 US service members and eight Afghans. Three airmen were reported to be among the casualties. The Defense Department has not released an official list of the fallen, but family members have identified some in interviews. KY 3 News of Springfield, Mo., reported that TSgt. John W. Brown, an Air Force pararescueman, was one of the victims. The Pennsylvania York Dispatch reported that Daniel Zerbe was another one of the airmen killed. Zerbe joined the Air Force after he graduated from high school in 2001, according to the paper.
The U.S. supports “a stronger and more capable” European defense, Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III said during an Oct. 22 press conference in Brussels—but that defense should not duplicate the functions and capabilities of the NATO alliance.