McHenry soldier killed in helicopter crash called fearless
A McHenry soldier killed in a helicopter crash in Fort Campbell, Kentucky, was "fearless," a family friend said Friday.
Chief Warrant Officer Kevin Weiss, 32, and another pilot with the 101st Airborne Division were flying out Wednesday night when their chopper went down during a training exercise, military authorities confirmed.
The crew members were flying a two-seat AH-64D Apache attack helicopter when the aircraft crashed 12 miles south of Fort Campbell in Montgomery County, Tennessee. The cause of the crash is yet undetermined and under investigation by the U.S. Army Combat Readiness Center, according to a division news release.
A 2001 graduate of Christian Liberty Academy in Arlington Heights, Weiss always had a love for the Army, said Laura Sicilian of McHenry, a family friend and Bible teacher for elementary students at the academy.
"He was a very brave, fearless, and adventurous soul," she said. "I've known him since he was 11 years old. He was well-liked by everyone. He was very respectful."
Sicilian said she used to drive the Weiss children to school every day. The news of his death has "devastated" the school community, she said.
Weiss enlisted in the Army in 2003 and served as a psychological operations specialist. During his eight years, he served in numerous assignments earning the rank of staff sergeant before being selected to attend the Warrant Officer Candidate School in 2011, officials said.
After being commissioned as a warrant officer and completing the Rotary Wing Aviators Course, Weiss served as an Apache attack helicopter pilot with the 101st Airborne Division. He served in Afghanistan in 2014 as part of Operation Enduring Freedom.
He earned the Air Medal, three Army Commendation Medals, Joint Service Achievement Medal, two Army Achievement Medals, the Combat Action Badge, Army Aviator Badge, Air Assault and Basic Parachutist Badges, Ranger tab and numerous campaign and service awards.
Weiss is survived by his wife, Beth, three children, his parents, Kevin and Susan Weiss, and seven younger siblings. Funeral arrangements are pending.