Members of the Krippner family raise a flag Friday, Dec. 6, 2019, in tribute to victims of a Minnesota National Guard Blackhawk helicopter crash that happened on their land near Kimball, Minn. Three soldiers were killed in Thursday's crash at the edge of a farm field about 30 miles south of St. Cloud. (Dave Schwarz/St. Cloud Times via AP)
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ST. CLOUD, Minn. (AP) - The Minnesota National Guard says the three soldiers who were killed when their helicopter crashed near St. Cloud this week were part of a unit that returned last May from a nine-month deployment to the Middle East.
The Guard identified the men who were killed in Thursday's crash as Chief Warrant Officers 2nd Class James A. Rogers Jr., 28, and Charles P. Nord, 30, and Sgt. Kort M. Plantenberg, 28.
The Guard tweeted that during their unit's recent Middle East deployment, it conducted medical evacuations in support of operations Spartan Shield and Inherent Resolve.
All three soldiers were assigned to Company C, 2-211th General Support Aviation Battalion, which is based in the central Minnesota city of St. Cloud.
The soldiers were killed when their Black Hawk crashed in a field about 15 miles (24 kilometers) southwest of St. Cloud, which is where it had taken off from. The Guard says the crash happened during a routine maintenance test flight.
A team from Fort Rucker, Alabama, was sent to Minnesota to determine why the crash happened.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who served in the Guard for 24 years, ordered flags flown at half-staff at state and federal buildings throughout Minnesota from 2:05 p.m. Friday until 2:05 p.m. Monday. That was the time on Thursday when the Guard lost contact with the crew.
'œThey paid the ultimate price in their service,'ť Walz said in a statement. 'œWords will never ease the pain of this tragic loss, and the state of Minnesota is forever in the debt of these warriors.'ť
This aerial photo shows the crash site of a Minnesota National Guard Blackhawk helicopter, Friday Dec. 6, 2019, near Kimball, Minn. Three soldiers were killed in Thursday's crash at the edge of a farm field about 30 miles south of St. Cloud. (Brian Peterson/Star Tribune via AP)
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Gov. Tim Walz speaks during a news conference, Thursday, Dec. 5, 2019 in Marty, Minn. At left is Chief Deputy Dan Miller and at right is Brig. Gen. Sandy Best. A Black Hawk helicopter with three crew members aboard crashed Thursday in central Minnesota, the Minnesota National Guard said, though officials did not offer any immediate information about the conditions of crew members. (Renee Jones Schneider/Star Tribune via AP)
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This aerial photo shows the crash site of a Minnesota National Guard Blackhawk helicopter, Friday Dec. 6, 2019, near Kimball, Minn. Three soldiers were killed in Thursday's crash at the edge of a farm field about 30 miles south of St. Cloud. (Brian Peterson/Star Tribune via AP)
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This aerial photo shows the crash site of a Minnesota National Guard Blackhawk helicopter, Friday Dec. 6, 2019, near Kimball, Minn. Three soldiers were killed in Thursday's crash at the edge of a farm field about 30 miles south of St. Cloud. (Brian Peterson/Star Tribune via AP)
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Maj. Gen. Jon Jensen speaks during a press conference at the Army Aviation Support Facility Saturday, Dec. 7, 2019, in St. Cloud, Minn. The Minnesota National Guard says the three soldiers who were killed when their helicopter crashed near St. Cloud this week were part of a unit that returned last May from a nine-month deployment to the Middle East. (Dave Schwarz/St. Cloud Times via AP)
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Outgoing unit commander Maj. Nathan Burr shares memories of the three soldiers killed in Thursday's helicopter crash during a press conference at the Army Aviation Support FacilitySaturday, Dec. 7, 2019, in St. Cloud, Minn. The Minnesota National Guard says the three soldiers who were killed were part of a unit that returned last May from a nine-month deployment to the Middle East. (Dave Schwarz/St. Cloud Times via AP)
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Soldiers listen during a press conference on the recent crash of a Black Hawk helicopter at the Army Aviation Support Facility, Saturday, Dec. 7, 2019, in St. Cloud, Minn. The Minnesota National Guard says the three soldiers who were killed when their helicopter crashed near St. Cloud this week were part of a unit that returned last May from a nine-month deployment to the Middle East. (Dave Schwarz/St. Cloud Times via AP)
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A press conference is held at the Army Aviation Support Facility, Saturday, Dec. 7, 2019, in St. Cloud, Minn., regarding the recent crash of a Black Hawk helicopter. The Minnesota National Guard says the three soldiers who were killed when their helicopter crashed near St. Cloud this week were part of a unit that returned last May from a nine-month deployment to the Middle East. (Dave Schwarz/St. Cloud Times via AP)
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