U.S. Spy-Plane Crashes in Africa: 4 Killed

The U.S. Military has announced that a U28-A special operations reconnaissance aircraft crashed on Saturday night around 8pm, killing the four servicemen onboard. The plane crashed about 6 miles from the only U.S. base in Africa, Camp Lemonnier in the tiny Horn of Africa nation. The spyplane was returning from a routine support mission in the Afghanistan war, according to Amy Oliver, public affairs director of the Air Force 1st Special Operations Wing. The cause of the crash is still under investigation, while preliminary results indicated that the plane did not crash due to hostile fire.

The four servicemen who died in the crash, according to the Associated Press  were, Capt. Ryan P. Hall, 30, of Colorado Springs, Colorado, with the 319th Special Operations Squadron; Capt. Nicholas S. Whitlock, 29, of Newnan, Georgia, with the 34th Special Operations Squadron; 1st Lt. Justin J. Wilkens, 26, of Bend, Oregon, with the 34th Special Operations Squadron; and Senior Airman Julian S. Scholten, 26, of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, with the 25th Intelligence Squadron.

Hall was a U-28 pilot with more than 1,300 combat flight hours. He was assigned to the 319th Special Operations Squadron at Hurlburt Field, Fla.

Personal Footnote: In today’s politically correct, seemingly increasingly anti-religious society, not one writer has offered up a thank you, or any form of condolences to the families and loved ones of these fine, brave men who have given the ultimate sacrifice to ensure our freedom. For this citizen journalist, that is simply unacceptable. I,d like to offer up my personal condolences, gratitude and heartfelt prayers for all of you that have lost a loved one in this tragedy.