Four soldiers from an elite nighttime mission team lost their lives earlier this week when their MH-60 Black Hawk helicopter went down near a military base in Washington state.

The helicopter was engaged in a standard training exercise west of Joint Base Lewis-McChord when it crashed at approximately 9 PM on Wednesday, as reported by the US Army Special Operations Command.

The soldiers were part of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, Airborne, officials said.

Recovery efforts are underway, and the cause of the crash remains under investigation, Army officials said.

The skies in the area were mostly clear with light winds from the south around the time of the crash, according to the National Weather Service.

Army officials said they would release the soldiers’ names ‘when appropriate,’ out of respect for the families.

‘Our hearts are with the families, friends, and teammates of these Night Stalkers,’ said Lt. Gen. Jonathan Braga, USASOC Commander. 

‘They were elite warriors who embodied the highest values of the Army and the Army Special Operations, and their sacrifice will never be forgotten.’

Army Secretary Dan Driscoll said on X, ‘my heart is heavy,’ after hearing about the crash. 

“As we wait for more information, my thoughts and prayers are with the affected individuals, their families, and the entire Night Stalkers, Special Operations, and JBLM community,” he stated.

The regiment’s mission is to organize, equip and employ Army special operations aviation forces around the world, according to the Army’s website.

‘Known as Night Stalkers, these soldiers are recognized for their proficiency in nighttime operations,’ the website explained. 

“They possess high-level training and are prepared to execute the most challenging missions under any conditions, anywhere globally, around the clock, with unmatched precision.”

Crews from the unit in 2011 flew Navy SEALS into Pakistan for the top secret mission which killed al-Quida leader and terrorist Osama bin Laden. 

Law enforcement, firefighters and specialty personnel from the joint base are conducting recovery efforts at the site of the crash, Braga said.

‘We thank the skilled professionals who are working tirelessly, around the clock to bring our soldiers home,’ Braga said.

The crash sparked a small wildfire that had grown to 1.25 acres by Friday morning, the Washington Department of Natural Resources said. 

The agency said there was ‘pretty minimal fire activity’ so they had one engine on the scene.

The base is about 10 miles  south of Tacoma under the jurisdiction of the US Army Joint Base Headquarters.

This is the second deadly crash of this elite unit in recent years.

In 2023, five Army aviation special operations personnel lost their lives when a helicopter crashed in the Eastern Mediterranean during a routine air refueling training mission.

They were all part of the Army´s 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment based at Fort Campbell, Kentucky.

In March 2024, two soldiers from the Joint Base Lewis-McChord SOAR ended up in hospital when their Apache helicopter crashed at the base during a routine training exercise.