Chief Warrant Officer 2 Deontre Huey, 34, and Warrant Officer Seth Olmstead, 25, were pronounced dead on Wednesday after their aircraft crashed in a field 30 miles from Fort Hood on Tuesday. Huey had been in the U.S. Army since 2014, while Olmstead joined in 2023.The “violent” crash, in the words of sheriff’s office spokesman Cliff Coleman, is the latest of many that have plagued the U.S. at a time of heightened military readiness.
“Our hearts and deepest condolences are with the families of the Soldiers we lost Wednesday,” Fort Hood’s commanding general, Lt. Gen. Kevin D. Admiral, said. “The Army is a family, and a tragedy like this is felt throughout our formations and our community.”Huey and Olmstead were part of the 1st Cavalry Division, a famous U.S. division that transferred from a horse-based to armor- and helicopter-based force as technology progressed through the 20th century.A safety investigation team from the Army Combat Readiness Center was deployed from Alabama to the site and will lead the investigation into the cause of the crash.TWO DEAD AFTER APACHE ATTACK HELICOPTER CRASHES IN CENTRAL TEXASThe combined number of military accidents in fiscal 2026 has already surpassed the total for fiscal 2025. The uptick in accidents is likely a cause of increased military activity globally due to the war with Iran.The deadliest of these stateside accidents was a B-52 Stratofortress crash at Edwards Air Force Base in June, killing all eight people on board.
