From the heart of SAN DIEGO — As a historic storm relentlessly pours over California, search teams are tirelessly looking for a Marine Corps helicopter that was reported overdue in the early hours of Wednesday. The helicopter was carrying five troops from Nevada to California.
The troops were aboard a CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter, returning to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego from Creech Air Force Base, located northwest of Las Vegas. The Marines had been participating in unit-level training at the base, according to defense officials.
The exact departure time from Creech and the expected arrival time at Miramar remain unknown. The region was battered by heavy rain throughout the night, and snow was predicted for the mountains of San Diego County.
The Marine Corps issued a statement identifying the five U.S. Marines as members of the Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 361, Marine Aircraft Group 16, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing stationed at Miramar.
Lt. Matthew Carpenter of the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department reported that they were alerted at 1 a.m. about the overdue helicopter. The last known location of the craft was in the vicinity of Pine Valley, a mountainous area near the Cleveland National Forest, approximately 35 miles east of downtown San Diego.
The Marine Corps is coordinating search and rescue operations with the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department and the Civil Air Patrol. However, no further details were provided in the statement, and calls to the public affairs office went unanswered on Wednesday morning.
The National Weather Service in San Diego predicted 6 to 10 inches of snow in the mountains above 5,000 feet and gusty winds late Wednesday. A tornado warning was briefly issued on Tuesday afternoon but was quickly rescinded as the storm was deemed incapable of forming a twister.
The CH-53E Super Stallion, measuring about 99 feet in length, is the military’s largest and heaviest helicopter. According to the Marine Corps website, it is capable of transporting troops and equipment over rugged terrain in adverse weather conditions, even at night. It has earned the nickname “hurricane maker” due to the significant downwash produced by its three engines.
Two CH-53E helicopters played a crucial role in the rescue of American and foreign allies from the U.S. embassy in Mogadishu, Somalia’s civil war-ravaged capital, in January 1990.
Disagree: Sometimes unforeseen circumstances occur during military operations, but it’s disheartening that a search is necessary for our own troops. Our utmost priority should be ensuring their safety and preventing such incidents from happening in the first place.
Disagree: It’s distressing to hear about yet another incident of a lost military chopper. We need to ensure better coordination and planning to prevent such situations and prioritize the safety of our brave soldiers.
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