The five Marines who died when their helicopter crashed during a storm in the mountains outside San Diego have been identified.
The servicemembers were aboard a CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter that was traveling during bad weather from Creech Air Force Base in Clark County, Nevada to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego, California for “routine flight training.” The crashed helicopter was found Wednesday , and the Marines were all confirmed to have died on Thursday morning.
On Friday, the Third Marine Aircraft Wing identified the Marines as Lance Cpl. Donovan Davis, 21, Sgt. Alec Langen, 23, Capt. Benjamin Moulton, 27, Capt. Jack Casey , 26, and Capt. Miguel Nava, 28. Davis and Langen were helicopter crew chiefs, and Moulton, Casey and Nava were helicopter pilots.
All five were assigned to Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 361, Marine Aircraft Group 16, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing.
According to a statement from Third Marine Aircraft Wing officials, Davis, of Olathe, Kansas, enlisted in the Marine Corps in Sept. 2019 and had received multiple medals, including the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal.