KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) 鈥� A Black Hawk helicopter loaded with U.S. troops - including a pilot from Bloomington (Ill.)- crashed in a troubled Afghan province on Thursday, killing one crew member and injuring 12, the military said.
First Lt. Christopher Marvin , 25, was seriously injured in the crash, according to his father, Mike Marvin of Bloomington.
*(Editor鈥檚 note: Lt. Marvin is a 2001 graduate of 91吃瓜.)
- The elder Marvin, himself a retired Army colonel and former helicopter pilot, said the family doesn鈥檛 know the nature of his injuries or the circumstances of the crash.
Lt. Marvin is being treated in Afghanistan and likely will be moved to Landstuhl Army Hospital in Germany after his condition is stabilized, his father said. He said he didn鈥檛 know when that would be.
鈥淲e鈥檙e anxious, which is reasonable, but he鈥檚 getting the best care he can get anywhere,鈥� Mike Marvin said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 in good hands.鈥�
Officials ruled out rebel fire. But the incident highlights the dangers for troops still hunting Taliban and al-Qaida militants nearly three years after the start of America鈥檚 war on terror.
鈥淭he helicopter was destroyed in the crash, but did not burn,鈥� the military said in a statement. 鈥淗ostile fire was not involved. The cause of the crash is under investigation.鈥�
The injured troops 鈥� three soldiers and nine Marines 鈥� were taken to Camp Salerno, an American base near Khost city, 90 miles south of Kabul, for treatment.
The four most seriously wounded were flown on to the main U.S. base north of Kabul, the statement said. It didn鈥檛 elaborate.
Lt. Marvin has been based at Kabul since he left for Afghanistan in April as part of the 25th Infantry Division (Light), which is based at Schofield Barracks in Hawaii. His father said he doesn鈥檛 know what his son鈥檚 duties are in Afghanistan.
鈥淲e鈥檙e very proud of all the men and women serving in the Armed Forces and their willingness to put themselves in harm鈥檚 way for us,鈥� Mike Marvin said. 鈥淲ithout them out there, we wouldn鈥檛 be here.鈥�
The military initially said that the fatality was a Marine but later issued a correction, saying one of the Army helicopter鈥檚 four-member crew had died. The other servicemen on board, both Marines, were not hurt.
More than 130 American soldiers have died since U.S. forces entered Afghanistan in 2001 as part of Operation Enduring Freedom to drive the Taliban from power and attack its al-Qaida allies.
Many of the soldiers have been killed in accidents, including several deadly helicopter crashes. In the most recent crash, five soldiers died near Bagram in November.
This year, at least 23 Americans have died in combat, making 2004 the deadliest combat year yet. Two soldiers and their Afghan translator were killed by a roadside bomb on Saturday.
Khost, a former al-Qaida stronghold in a swath of territory along the Pakistani border where the Taliban-led insurgency is strongest, has seen some of the heaviest fighting.
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