Wednesday, May 30, 2012

R.I.P. - CWO 5 John C. Pratt, Capt. John R. Brainard

DOD Identifies Army Casualties

             The Department of Defense announced today the death of two Soldiers who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

             They died May 28, in Kabul, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when their helicopter crashed. The Soldiers were assigned to the 12th Combat Aviation Brigade, Ansbach-Katterbach, Germany.

             Killed were:

             Capt. John R. Brainard, 26, of Dover-Foxcroft, Maine;
and Chief Warrant Officer Five John C. Pratt, 51, of Springfield, Va.;

             For more information the media may contact U.S. Army Europe public affairs office at 49/622-157-3181.

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Capt. John “Jay” Brainard III of Newport and his wife, Emily, in a Facebook photo.
from wlbz2:

A soldier from Maine has died in a helicopter accident in Afghanistan. Army Captain John R. Brainard, who was 26, was piloting an AH64 helicopter when it went down on patrol on Monday.

Captain Brainard grew up in the Newport/Dixmont area. He was a 2004 graduate of Foxcroft Academy and a 2008 graduate of the University of Maine. He was serving in the 12th Aviation Combat Brigade.

Gov. Paul LePage said in a statement, "It brings me great sadness to learn that Maine has lost Captain Brainard who dedicated himself to defending our State and Nation, and we are forever indebted to his display of courage and selfless sacrifice. It is with a heavy heart that I express my sincere condolences to his family and friends. This news never comes easy and is especially difficult knowing this young man made the ultimate sacrifice on Memorial Day. 

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Maj. Gen. Rick Lynch, commander, 3rd Infantry Division, pins the Soldiers Medal on Chief Warrant Officer John Pratt July 1.  Pratt was awarded the medal for heroism while helping several people involved in a car wreck in Florida last April.  Lynch had also pinned the rank of Chief Warrant Officer 5 on Pratt just before giving him the medal.  (photo by Sgt. 1st Class Thomas Mills) - 07.02.2007
DOD identifies two soldiers killed in Afghanistan helo crash
Stars and Stripes
Published: May 30, 2012

The Department of Defense has released the names of the two soldiers killed Monday in a helicopter crash near Kabul, Afghanistan.

Capt. John R. Brainard, 26, of Newport, Maine, and Chief Warrant Officer 5 John C. Pratt, 51, of Springfield, Va., were assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 12th Combat Aviation Brigade, based in Ansbach-Katterbach, Germany, according to a 12th CAB news release.

Their AH-64D Longbow Apache went down in Wardak province, just west of Kabul, the release said.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation. The pilots were conducting routine combat operations, according to the unit.

U.S. Army Europe’s combat aviation brigade cased its colors April 20 in Katterbach, in preparation for its deployment to Afghanistan and Kuwait.

Brigade commander Col. Van J. Voorhees Jr. told attendees at the ceremony that the brigade would serve a 10-month tour in Regional Command-North in Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom and in Kuwait as part of Operation Spartan Shield.

The 12th CAB flies Apache, Black Hawk and Chinook helicopters for support, reconnaissance and assault missions.

According to information provided by the unit, Brainard was the brigade adjutant and was on his first combat tour in his four years of service. He is survived by his wife, Emily, and his parents, John Brainard and Susie Phelps of Newport, Maine.

Pratt was the brigade senior warrant officer and standardization pilot. He had deployed three times and served in the Army for more than 20 years. He is survived by his wife, Nicola, their daughter Emma, and his parents, John D. and Josephine Pratt, of Springfield, Va.
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