A soldier from Apache Junction, Sgt. Andrew P. Southard, was one of five killed in a helicopter crash late last week, according to the Department of Defense.
The five soldiers were killed on Nov. 10, 2023 when a MH-60 Blackhawk helicopter crashed in the Mediterranean Sea during a training exercise.
According to the Apache Junction Unified School District, Sgt. Southard graduated in 2015 from Apache Junction High School.
“We mourn the loss of these five incredible soldiers, each of them a national treasure. They hail from rare patriotic families with deep military service ties that span multiple generations and formations,” said Lieutenant General Jonathan P. Braga, Commanding General of the United States Army Special Operations Command.
“This is devastating news that reverberates across the entire special operations community. Every loss is tough, but in this case, service to the Nation is truly a family business and it’s hard to express the amount of sorrow that we all feel right now,” continued Braga.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with their families, their loved ones, and their fellow soldiers. Like the special operations community always does, we will wrap our arms around them, grieve with them, and promise to never forget them,” concluded Braga.
Family members released a biography of Sgt. Andrew P. Southard on social media:
Southard started out as a 15T UH-60 “Black Hawk” Repairer in 2015, according to the Department of Defense. He was first assigned to the First Armored Division’s Combat Aviation Brigade in Fort Bliss, Texas, upon completing advanced individual training.
He later completed a 13-month rotation to Task Force Sinai, located in the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt, in support of ongoing peacekeeping operations. After finishing his tour, he reported to Fort Campbell’s 101st Combat Aviation Brigade, located on the Kentucky–Tennessee border.
Southard volunteered for an assignment to the 160th SOAR and after completing the regiment’s extensive training and assessment program this year, he remained in First Battalion, 160th SOAR for service as an MH-60M Crew Chief.
While assigned to the First Armored Division Combat Aviation Brigade, Southard deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
Southard graduated from the Enlisted Combat Skills; Combatives Level 1; MH-60 Maintainers Course; Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape School; MH-60 Non-Rated Crew Member Course; and the Basic Leaders Course.
His awards and decorations include two Army Commendation Medals, an Army Achievement Medal, two Army Good Conduct Medals, a National Defense Service Medal, a Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon, an Army Service Ribbon, an Oversea Service Ribbon and the Basic Aviation Badge.