An MC-12 surveillance aircraft crashed in southern Afghanistan on April 27, claiming the lives of four airmen, announced Air Forces Central Command on Sunday. According to a Pentagon release, the deceased airmen are: Capt. Brandon L. Cyr, 28, of Woodbridge, Va., assigned to the 906th Air Refueling Squadron at Scott AFB, Ill.; Capt. Reid K. Nishizuka, 30, of Kailua, Hawaii, assigned to the 427th Reconnaissance Squadron at Beale AFB, Calif.; SSgt. Richard A. Dickson, 24, of Rancho Cordova, Calif., assigned to the 306th Intelligence Squadron at Beale; and SSgt. Daniel N. Fannin, 30, of Morehead, Ky., assigned to the 552nd Operations Support Squadron at Tinker AFB, Okla. The crash occurred at approximately 1:30 p.m. local time in the province of Zabul, about 110 miles northeast of Kandahar Airfield, according to AFCENT. The airmen were serving with Kandahar’s 361st Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron. Coalition forces secured the crash site and recovered the airmen’s remains, according to AFCENT. The cause of the accident is under investigation. Initial reporting indicated there was no enemy activity in the area at the time of the crash, according to the Pentagon’s release.
In a nighttime ceremony contrived to continue concealment of many of its features, the new B-21 bomber rolled out of Northrop Grumman's Palmdale, Calif. plant Dec. 2. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the aircraft's advanced technology represents "deterrence, the American way."