Omaha native dies in helicopter crash in Afghanistan
Posted: Saturday, June 02, 2007
OMAHA (AP) -- An Omaha native was among the five American soldiers killed this week in an Army helicopter crash in Afghanistan.
Chief Warrant Officer Chris Allgaier died Wednesday after about 30 service members from the 82nd Airborne Division had been dropped off by the CH-47 Chinook transport helicopter, his father, Bob Allgaier, told the Omaha World-Herald.
Chris Allgaier, 33, graduated from Omaha Creighton Prep High School in 1991, said Nate Driml, the school's director of alumni and community relations. Driml said a priest from the Jesuit school visited Allgaier's family Friday.
U.S. military officials said initial reports suggested the helicopter was hit with a rocket-propelled grenade but that enemy fire was only one of several possibilities.
Before his deployment, Allgaier had lived near the 82nd's headquarters in Fort Bragg, N.C., with his wife, Jennie, and their three children.
Funeral services were pending.
Allgaier graduated with highest honors at Prep, ranking No. 4 in his class, Driml said. Allgaier was a member of the National Honor Society, the National Spanish Honor Society and the school's science club, Driml said.
Allgaier earned a bachelor's degree in aeronautical administration from Saint Louis University in 1995 and a master's degree in aeronautical science from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in 2001, according to Allgaier's personal Web page on the "Friendster" social networking site.
The Chinook crashed on the first day of a new joint NATO-Afghan operation to force Taliban fighters out of parts of Afghanistan's volatile Helmand Province, in the southern part of the country.
The American soldiers who were killed were part of a brigade that deployed earlier this year along with the division's commanding general and his staff.
Since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, 20 soldiers from the 82nd have died in Afghanistan, and 101 have died in Iraq.
Allgaier was the 47th U.S. service member with Nebraska connections to die in Afghanistan or Iraq since the beginning of military operations following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
Calls to Allgaier's family in Omaha were not immediately returned.
Chief Warrant Officer Chris Allgaier died Wednesday after about 30 service members from the 82nd Airborne Division had been dropped off by the CH-47 Chinook transport helicopter, his father, Bob Allgaier, told the Omaha World-Herald.
Chris Allgaier, 33, graduated from Omaha Creighton Prep High School in 1991, said Nate Driml, the school's director of alumni and community relations. Driml said a priest from the Jesuit school visited Allgaier's family Friday.
U.S. military officials said initial reports suggested the helicopter was hit with a rocket-propelled grenade but that enemy fire was only one of several possibilities.
Before his deployment, Allgaier had lived near the 82nd's headquarters in Fort Bragg, N.C., with his wife, Jennie, and their three children.
Funeral services were pending.
Allgaier graduated with highest honors at Prep, ranking No. 4 in his class, Driml said. Allgaier was a member of the National Honor Society, the National Spanish Honor Society and the school's science club, Driml said.
Allgaier earned a bachelor's degree in aeronautical administration from Saint Louis University in 1995 and a master's degree in aeronautical science from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in 2001, according to Allgaier's personal Web page on the "Friendster" social networking site.
The Chinook crashed on the first day of a new joint NATO-Afghan operation to force Taliban fighters out of parts of Afghanistan's volatile Helmand Province, in the southern part of the country.
The American soldiers who were killed were part of a brigade that deployed earlier this year along with the division's commanding general and his staff.
Since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, 20 soldiers from the 82nd have died in Afghanistan, and 101 have died in Iraq.
Allgaier was the 47th U.S. service member with Nebraska connections to die in Afghanistan or Iraq since the beginning of military operations following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
Calls to Allgaier's family in Omaha were not immediately returned.
Story Comments
Read More and Post Comments 0 comment(s)
Please note: The following are comments from readers. In no way do they represent the views of The Sioux City Journal or Lee Enterprises. We will not edit or alter your comments, but we do reserve the right to not post or to remove comments that violate our code of conduct. No comment may contain potentially libelous statements; obscene, explicit or racist language; personal attacks, insults or threats. Terms of Service
