UPDATE: Gov. Andrew Cuomo Directs Flags To Half-Staff In Memory Of Four 106th Members Killed In Helicopter Crash

Governor Andrew Cuomo is calling for all flags on state government buildings be flown at half-staff on Monday to honor the four National Guard members from the 106th Rescue Wing who were killed in the helicopter crash in Iraq.

On behalf of all New Yorkers, I extend my deepest condolences to the friends and family of these courageous New York National Guard members," Gov. Cuomo said in a written statement on Sunday. "We join their loved ones and fellow service members in honoring the sacrifice they have made, so that others may live free in New York and across the entire nation."

Capt. O'Hagan, the 106th Rescue Wing's public affairs officer, said he personally knew all four of the men from the 106th Rescue Wing who were killed in the helicopter crash in Iraq.

"It's hard to believe," Capt. O'Hagan said. "It's really, really tough."

The helicopter was part of Operation Inherent Resolve, or OIR—the U.S. Military's intervention against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, Capt. O'Hagan explained. While the cause of the crash is still being investigated, he noted that it does not appear to have been from enemy fire. The flight was not part of a combat mission.

The days since Thursday's crash have been difficult at the 106th Rescue Wing.

Earlier on Saturday, Capt. O'Hagan flipped through photographs of the four men with other members of the rescue wing. Smiles were swept across everyone's faces in the images; it was hard to look at.

"It's just an incredibly sad time, as you can imagine," Capt. O'Hagan said.

He added that Capt. Zanetis, Capt. O'Keeffe, Master Sgt. Raguso, and Staff Sgt. Briggs all had big hearts, and were always willing to lend a helping hand when it was needed.

"All four of these guys are really the kind of guys you want in your community..." Capt. O'Hagan said. "It's an extremely huge loss for us."

The U.S. Department of Defense on Saturday officially identified the four members of the 106th Rescue Wing who were killed in a helicopter crash in western Iraq on Thursday.

They were:

• Capt. Christopher Zanetis, 37, of Long Island City, an HH-60G Pave Hawk pilot. He joined the 106th Rescue Wing in 2008 and was assigned to the wing's 101st Rescue Squadron. Capt. Zanetis was a member of the New York City Fire Department in civilian life and had recently joined the law firm of Debevoise & Plimpton in New York City as an associate. He previously deployed to Iraq in 2011, supporting another HH-60G squadron, and Afghanistan with the 101st.

• Capt. Andreas O'Keeffe, 37, of Center Moriches, an HH-60G Pave Hawk pilot. He was a full-time federal civilian employee and an Air Guardsman with the wing's 101st Rescue Squadron. He joined the 106th Rescue Wing in 2013, after serving as an armament systems specialist with the 113th Wing, District of Columbia Air National Guard, and RC-26 pilot with the 174th Attack Wing, Hancock Field Air National Guard Base, Syracuse. He deployed to Iraq three times, and to Afghanistan, the Horn of Africa, and Texas during Hurricane Harvey.

• Master Sgt. Christopher Raguso, 39, a resident of Commack, an HH-60G special missions aviation flight engineer. He joined the 106th Rescue Wing in 2001 and was a member of the New York City Fire Department. He was assigned to the wing's 101st Rescue Squadron. He previously deployed to Iraq as a fire protection specialist with the 106th Civil Engineering Squadron, twice to Afghanistan with the 101st, once to the Horn of Africa, and to Texas and the Caribbean for Hurricanes Harvey and Irma.

• Staff Sgt. Dashan Briggs, 30, of Port Jefferson Station, an HH-60G special missions aviation flight engineer. A graduate of Riverhead High School, he joined the 106th Rescue Wing in 2010. He was a full-time military member with the wing and assigned to the 101st Rescue Squadron. He previously deployed to Afghanistan as a munitions system specialist with the 106th Maintenance Group, and to Texas and the Caribbean for Hurricanes Harvey and Irma as a member of the 101st.

The four New York Air National Guard Airmen were part of a seven-member team who died when the HH-60G Pave Hawk rescue helicopter they were flying crashed near the city of Al-Qa'im in western Iraq. There is no evidence of enemy action involved in the crash, and the incident is under investigation, according to the Department of Defense.

"It is with great sadness that I report the loss of four of our wing members," said Col. Michael Bank, the commander of the 106th Rescue Wing. "All four of these heroes served their nation and community. Our sincerest condolences and sympathies to the families and friends that have been touched by this tragic event.”

"Our National Guard family mourns the loss of the seven combat search and rescue Airmen in the HH-60 crash, including four members from the 106th Rescue Wing," said Major General Anthony German, the Adjutant General of New York. "This loss reminds us of the tremendous risks we take in serving our nation every day. We honor their service, their professionalism, and their sacrifice as we mourn their loss.”

The 106th Rescue Wing operates the HH-60G Pave Hawk search-and-rescue helicopter, which is a modified version of the Army's UH-60 Blackhawk. The wing also flies the HC-130 search-and-rescue version of the C-130 Hercules transport aircraft.

The four Airmen killed on March 15 brings the total number of New York National Guard members who have died in a combat zone since Sept. 11, 2001 to 39. Of those, seven have been members of the New York Air National Guard.

A press conference has been scheduled for 9 p.m. Saturday.

News-Review spoke with a family member who confirmed that Dashan Briggs, a 2007 Riverhead High School graduate and a member of the 106th, was killed in the crash. He was 30.

The newspaper reports that he leaves a widow and two young children.

The military publication Stars & Stripes said he was a staff sergeant with the 106th on deployment in Iraq.

Stars & Stripes also cited a Facebook post by the Commack Fire Department identifying another 106th member who died in the crash as Christopher Raguso, a flight engineer for the 106th and a lieutenant in the fire department. He is also a member of the New York Fire Department.

The Associated Press also is identifying a third casualty: Christopher "Tripp" Zanetis, also a member of the NYFD.

U.S. Representative Lee Zeldin and Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone both issued statements about Thursday’s helicopter crash.

“While I cannot get into further details yet due to the process of notifying next of kin, I just want to extend my deepest condolences to the families of the great American heroes lost in yesterday’s helicopter crash on the Iraq-Syria border,” Mr. Zeldin said on Friday. “These lives represented the best of the best of our proud nation!”

Mr. Bellone added to that sentiment in his prepared statement. “I am heartbroken to learn of reports that seven service members lost their lives last night in a tragic helicopter crash in Iraq ...” the statement reads. “The service members in this unit selflessly deploy around the world to provide combat search-and-rescue coverage for United States and allied forces.”

He continued: “This tragedy serves as a stark reminder of the sacrifices our heroes in uniform face every day. My sincere condolences are with the family members, and I ask that all New Yorkers keep them in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.”

The 106th Rescue Wing is an air defense military installation based at the Francis S. Gabreski Airport in Westhampton. The base—which has 1,000 members—deploys airmen worldwide to provide combat search-and-rescue coverage for U.S. and allied forces.

The base is known for its role in the 1991 rescues depicted in the best-selling book and subsequent blockbuster film “The Perfect Storm.”

President Donald Trump tweeted on Friday morning about the helicopter crash.

“Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families and loved ones of the brave troops lost in the helicopter crash on the Iraq-Syria border yesterday,” Mr. Trump wrote. “Their sacrifice in service to our country will never be forgotten.”

Captain Jean Kratzer, an ANG public information officer, said she has no comment because families of the service members involved in the crash are still being notified.

Four members of the Air National Guard’s 106th Rescue Wing based at Gabreski Airport in Westhampton were among seven service members killed in a helicopter crash in Iraq on Thursday.

Southampton Town Supervisor Jay Schneiderman said on Friday morning that he had spoken with officials from the ANG base, and the American military helicopter did not include any Southampton Town Police officers. The town has three police officers deployed in Iraq with the 106th, he added.

Additional information about the crash was not immediately available, but various national outlets have reported that seven service members were killed in the crash.

Captain Michael O’Hagan, the public information officer for 106th Rescue Wing, could not be immediately reached on Friday morning. Katie Vincentz, a spokesperson for U.S. Representative Lee Zeldin, also could not be immediately reached for comment.

According to The New York Times, the downed aircraft was a HH-60 Pave Hawk, a modified version of the Black Hawk helicopter. The helicopter is often flown by the Air Force for medical evacuation missions; it is also commonly used by Special Operations pararescue specialists.

The aircraft crashed about 18 miles southeast of the center of Qaim, The Times reported. The American military uses a base in the Qaim as a logistics center and resupply hub.

U.S. Central Command, based in Tampa, Florida, issued a press release on Thursday confirming the crash but offering no details about the number of casualties or the agencies involved.

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