U.S. Army lifts pause on Apache training after Texas crash kills two

The Army confirmed that Apache helicopter training missions will restart after a brief pause that began after an Aug. 12 crash near Fort Hood killed two soldiers. Chief Warrant Officer 2 Deontre T. Huey, 34, of Killeen, and Warrant Officer Seth L. Olmstead, 25, of Belton, were the sole occupants of the aircraft that struck a grassy field near Salado, roughly 30 miles from the installation. The Combat Readiness Center at Fort Rucker is conducting the investigation, while the Army said the pause was lifted after a thorough safety review.

Training flights were suspended on Aug. 14 and have now been cleared to continue. The deceased were assigned to Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division. The decision does not affect ongoing combat deployments of Apache helicopters, which have been active in the Strait of Hormuz amid tensions with Iran.