WEBVTT 00:01.549 --> 00:03.549 All right , update this morning . I 00:03.549 --> 00:05.660 just got off the phone with the SECOM 00:05.660 --> 00:07.827 commander and the chairman , the Joint 00:07.827 --> 00:09.827 Chiefs talking about our efforts at 00:09.827 --> 00:12.049 Guantanamo Bay , uh , that is ongoing . 00:12.049 --> 00:14.271 We're leaning forward on supporting the 00:14.271 --> 00:16.493 president's directive to make sure that 00:16.493 --> 00:18.716 we have a location for violent criminal 00:18.716 --> 00:21.100 illegals as they are deported out of 00:21.100 --> 00:23.156 the country . No one's gonna wait on 00:23.156 --> 00:24.989 the Defense Department and we're 00:24.989 --> 00:27.156 working that in real time . But I also 00:27.156 --> 00:29.378 wanted to give an update on the tragedy 00:29.378 --> 00:29.129 that happened last night here in 00:29.129 --> 00:31.296 Washington DC and provide a little bit 00:31.296 --> 00:33.639 more information as we are actively 00:34.169 --> 00:37.009 working to investigate and understand 00:37.369 --> 00:41.259 what occurred and why um at about 8:48 00:41.259 --> 00:44.290 last night , a UH60 assigned to the US 00:44.290 --> 00:46.930 Army Aviation Brigade in the military 00:46.930 --> 00:49.152 district of Washington . Fort Belvoir , 00:49.152 --> 00:51.569 Virginia collided tragically with a 00:51.569 --> 00:55.189 civilian airliner , um . The unit 00:55.189 --> 00:57.356 involved , the Army unit involved with 00:57.356 --> 00:59.467 Bravo Company 12th Aviation Battalion 00:59.467 --> 01:01.689 at Fort Belvoir . Uh , it was an annual 01:01.689 --> 01:03.856 proficiency training flight , and when 01:03.856 --> 01:06.078 we look at the crew , and we're not all 01:06.078 --> 01:08.078 not all kin have been notified , so 01:08.078 --> 01:10.189 we're going to withhold the ranks and 01:10.189 --> 01:12.411 names at this point . We do know , um , 01:12.411 --> 01:15.150 on our side who was involved . It was a 01:15.150 --> 01:18.150 fairly experienced crew and it was 01:18.150 --> 01:19.817 doing a required annual night 01:19.817 --> 01:23.069 evaluation . They did have night vision 01:23.069 --> 01:26.190 goggles . The 12th Aviation 01:26.190 --> 01:28.589 Battalion as of now is granted a 48 01:28.589 --> 01:31.470 hour operational pause on contingency 01:31.470 --> 01:34.419 missions as what happened is reviewed , 01:34.550 --> 01:36.790 and a senior level aviation team , an 01:36.790 --> 01:38.846 investigative team from our aviation 01:38.846 --> 01:40.957 safety center was deployed last night 01:40.957 --> 01:43.059 and already is in Washington DC to 01:43.059 --> 01:45.709 investigate what's going on . Um , we 01:45.709 --> 01:47.876 anticipate that the investigation will 01:47.876 --> 01:49.931 quickly be able to determine whether 01:49.931 --> 01:52.153 the aircraft was in the corridor and at 01:52.153 --> 01:54.376 the right altitude . At the time of the 01:54.376 --> 01:56.487 incident , um , as I mentioned , next 01:56.487 --> 01:58.709 of kin notifications are ongoing . It's 01:58.709 --> 02:00.709 a tragedy , uh , a horrible loss of 02:00.709 --> 02:02.940 life , uh , for those 64 souls on that 02:02.940 --> 02:05.139 civilian airliner and of course , uh , 02:05.169 --> 02:07.730 the three soldiers in that Black Hawk , 02:08.509 --> 02:10.699 um , they're in our prayers , their 02:10.699 --> 02:13.179 families and their communities as 02:13.179 --> 02:15.290 people are notified , I can't imagine 02:15.290 --> 02:17.235 and I know it's , it's gone from a 02:17.490 --> 02:19.657 rescue mission to a recovery mission , 02:19.839 --> 02:22.360 um , and . We're with all the first 02:22.360 --> 02:24.693 responders that are moving actively too . 02:24.693 --> 02:26.638 So at the Defense Department , our 02:26.638 --> 02:28.693 thoughts and prayers go out . We are 02:28.693 --> 02:30.916 actively investigating to find out what 02:30.916 --> 02:32.749 happened and why , and as we get 02:32.749 --> 02:34.971 updates , uh , you will have them . God 02:34.971 --> 02:34.229 bless .