The American command attributed the death of the commander of the SEAL Team 8 special forces detachment to communication problems and the early release of the landing rope
US officials said the death of a SEAL team leader during an exercise last December had several underlying causes.
These included communication problems inside the helicopter, the early release of the rope that Commander Brian Bourgeois was supposed to descend into the combat training area, and the lack of proper communication between the crew and ground forces. All these circumstances, to a greater or lesser extent, were the cause of the tragedy.
Bourgeois, 43, was fatally injured on December 4, 2021, during a Joint Special Operations Command speed training session in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The decorated combat veteran and commander of SEAL Team 8 fell approximately 12 meters from an Army Black Hawk helicopter and died from his injuries on December 7, 2021.
New details of what led to Bourgeois's death were released Thursday by the US Army Special Operations Command, or USASOC, which took the lead in the investigation because the crashed helicopter belonged to the Army's 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment.
The army has not yet released its investigation into the fatal incident, it is now being finalized. However, the incident has already led to several reforms within the USASO. This was indicated in his letter by the representative of the command, Lieutenant Colonel Michael Burns.
The US Army Special Operations Command has taken several steps to prevent similar events in the future, including rewriting several procedures. The new requirements ensure that both crews and partner ground forces take appropriate steps to ensure clear communication, and safety remains a top priority for all.
Burns said.
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