The Pentagon has confirmed that TSgt. Scott E. Duffman with the 24th Special Tactics Squadron at Pope AFB, N.C., was killed when a CH-47 helicopter on which he was a passenger crashed in Zabul Province in eastern Afghanistan Feb. 18. Duffman, 32, of Albuquerque, N.M., was one of eight coalition personnel killed in the crash. The 14 remaining personnel on board, including the aircrew, were wounded. According to a US Central Command release, the helicopter experienced a “sudden, unexplained loss of power and control.” Late Monday evening, coalition forces destroyed the wreckage after completing crash site inspections and recovery. An investigation into the cause is proceeding, using photographs and findings collected during recovery actions.
Amid NATO’s continued push to ramp up air defenses in Eastern Europe, Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall swung by seven allied countries to boost relations last week, including those on Russia’s and Ukraine’s doorstep.