DoD identifies 7 airmen killed in helo crash in Iraq.

The Defense Department on Saturday released the names of seven airmen who were killed this week when their HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter crashed in western Iraq.

The airmen, who were deployed in support of Operation Inherent Resolve, belonged to three different units — the 38th Rescue Squadron at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia; the 106th Rescue Wing of the New York National Guard; and the Air Force Reserve’s 308th Rescue Squadron at Patrick Air Force Base, Florida.

They were:

Capt. Mark Weber, 29, of Colorado Springs, Colorado. Weber was assigned to the 38th Rescue Squadron.

He commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Air Force in 2011, according to information from Moody Air Force Base.

No additional information about Weber was immediately available.

Capt. Andreas O’Keeffe, 37, of Center Moriches, New York. O’Keeffe was assigned to the 106th Rescue Wing.

O’Keeffe was an HH-60G Pave Hawk pilot, according to the New York Guard. He was a full-time federal civilian employee and an Air Guardsman with the wing’s 101st Rescue Squadron.

He joined the 106th Rescue Wing in 2013, after serving as an armament systems specialist with the 113th Wing, District of Columbia Air National Guard, and an RC-26 pilot with the 174th Attack Wing at Hancock Field Air National Guard Base, Syracuse, New York.

He deployed to Iraq three times, and to Afghanistan, the Horn of Africa, and Texas during Hurricane Harvey.

Capt. Christopher Zanetis, 37, of Long Island City, New York. Zanetis was assigned to the 106th Rescue Wing.

According to the New York Guard, Zanetis was an HH-60G Pave Hawk pilot. He joined the 106th Rescue Wing in 2008 and was assigned to the wing’s 101st Rescue Squadron.

Zanetis was a member of the New York City Fire Department in civilian life and had recently joined the law firm of Debevoise & Plimpton in New York City as an associate.

He previously deployed to Iraq in 2011, supporting another HH-60G squadron, and Afghanistan with the 101st Rescue Squadron.

Master Sgt. Christopher Raguso, 39, of Commack, New York. Raguso was assigned to the 106th Rescue Wing.

He previously deployed to Iraq as a fire protection specialist with the 106th Civil Engineering Squadron, twice to Afghanistan with the 101st Rescue Squadron, once to the Horn of Africa, and to Texas and the Caribbean for Hurricanes Harvey and Irma

Staff Sgt. Dashan Briggs, 30, of Port Jefferson Station, New York. Briggs was assigned to the 106th Rescue Wing.

Briggs was an HH-60G special missions aviation flight engineer. He joined the 106th Rescue Wing in 2010. He was a full time military member with the wing and assigned to the 101st Rescue Squadron.

He previously deployed to Afghanistan as a munitions system specialist with the 106th Maintenance Group, and to Texas and the Caribbean for Hurricanes Harvey and Irma as a member of the 101st.

“It is with great sadness that I report the loss of four of our wing members,” said Col. Michael Bank, the commander of the 106th Rescue Wing, in a statement. “All four of these heroes served their nation and community. Our sincerest condolences and sympathies to the families and friends that have been touched by this tragic event.”

Master Sgt. William Posch, 36, of Indialantic, Florida. Posch was assigned to the 308th Rescue Squadron.

Posch was part of a long-range rescue mission at sea to save two German sailors whose sailboat caught fire and sunk in July 2017, according to information from the 920th Rescue Wing. A month later, he assisted on many rescues in Texas during the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey.

Posch, a pararescue craftsman, was named one of the Air Force’s 12 Outstanding Airmen of the Year in 2014.

According to information from the Air Force, Posch was recognized for leading a crisis evacuation of more than 126 Americans from the U.S. Embassy in the South Sudan capital of Juba. He also headed a 23-person team during an expeditionary combat deployment and has provided more than 1,560 hours of Combat Rescue coverage, rescuing 143 persons.

Posch’s knowledge and skill contributed to his squadron’s effectiveness by providing training for airmen and joint service personnel, according to the Air Force.

And his battlefield experience, coupled with his understanding of tactical operations, contributed to his design of…