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According to a press release by Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson PAO Bob Hall, the airmen on board were Majors Michael Freyholtz and Aaron Malone, pilots assigned to the Alaska Air National Guard's 249th Airlift Squadron, Capt. Jeffrey Hill, a pilot assigned to Elmendorf's 517th Airlift Squadron, and Master Sgt. Thomas Cicardo, 249th Airlift Squadron loadmaster.
"We come to work with immense sorrow after four of our fellow Airmen lost their lives in the C-17 crash at Elmendorf AFB Wednesday," said Brig. Gen. Chuck Foster, 176th Wing Commander, Alaska Air National Guard. "They were more than valued Airmen: They were our teammates, friends, family members and fellow Alaskans. We mourn their loss and share the deep sadness of their families."
Maj. Michael Freyholtz, 34, from Hines, Minnesota, joined the Air Force in May 1998. He was chosen to fly the C-17 "Globemaster III" aircraft. In 2007 he left active duty to move to Alaska and join the Alaska Air National Guard. He was the first outside pilot hired for the new 249th Air Squadron. Freyholtz was the unit's first C-17 Flight Examiner Pilot and Air Show Demonstration Pilot. Freyholtz flew in support of Operations ENDURING FREEDOM and IRAQI FREEDOM for which he received the Air Medal.
Master Sgt. Thomas Cicardo, 47, spent more than 28 years in the U.S. Armed Forces. Before joining the Alaska Air National Guard, Cicardo served in the U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Army and the Air Force Reserve. In 1997 he joined the Alaska Air National Guard and spent his first 11 years in the 210th and 211th Rescue Squadrons, where he flew the HC-130. During his time in the rescue, he prosecuted 58 search and rescue missions in the State of Alaska. Cicardo was credited with saving 66 lives and assisting 13 others to safety. Cicardo was posthumously promoted to the rank of Senior Master Sergeant on Friday after Maj. Gen. Thomas H. Katkus, adjutant general of the Alaska National Guard, determined that he met all the eligibility requirements for the next-higher rank prior to death.
Capt. Jeffrey Hill, 31, of the 517th Airlift Squadron was a C-17A Instructor Pilot and an Operations Flight Commander at Elmendorf Air Force Base. Hill was assigned to launch the new C-17 squadron in Alaska.
Maj. Aaron "Zippy" Malone, 36, served his country for over 12 years in the Air National Guard in Iowa and then Montana. During his service in the Montana Air National Guard, he flew air sovereignty missions in the 9/11 afterrmath and deployed to the Korean Peninsula. With Alaska being his home, he transferred into the Alaska Guard in 2008. He was a C-17 instructor pilot and routinely flew combat missions in support of ENDURING FREEDOM and IRAQI Freedom.
Senior officials say the crash happened near runway 6 in the northeast quadrant of Elmendorf at 6:14 p.m.
Right before the crash, witnesses say they saw the aircraft flying low over the hillside, followed by a giant plume of smoke coming from the base.
"These fallen warriors embody the pride and professionalism of American Airmen," said Col. John McMullen, 3rd Wing Commander. "They selflessly served their country and will be sorely missed by our entire Arctic Warrior family."
There is still no word on what caused the aircraft to go down, but Hall says a board of officers is investigating the accident.
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