Five U.S. soldiers die in helicopter crash

The Army Black Hawk helicopter went down Saturday in the Mediterranean Sea during a training exercise. Military officials said they had found no reason to believe hostile forces were involved in the incident. The crash happened during a routine air refueling mission.

What was the helicopter doing in the area? The United States has bolstered its military presence in the Middle East in response to Israel’s ongoing war with Hamas. Since the war began, Iran-backed proxy forces in the region have launched more than 40 missile attacks against U.S. military personnel in the area. No U.S. servicemembers have died during those attacks. The United States has responded by carrying out airstrikes against militias in Syria.

Dig deeper: Read Todd Vician’s report in WORLD Magazine about the history of Veteran’s Day.