Alaska-based soldier dies in Iraq helicopter crash

Spc. Michael S. Cote was assigned to A Company, 1st Battalion, 52 Aviation Regiment, Task Force 49. He was from Denham Springs, La., the Army said. He was 20. Cote joined the Army in July 2007 and was transferred to Alaska in March 2008.

His next of kin have been notified of the death, the Army said.

Earlier news reports said the UH-60 Black Hawk went down Saturday night at the Balad Air Base, about 50 miles north of Baghdad.

The military said the cause of the crash was under investigation and gave no other details.

The helicopter went down on a night of high winds that tore through the area, whipping up a fierce sandstorm that was followed by thunder, lightning and rain.

The Black Hawk is the military's mainstay tactical transport helicopter, replacing the UH-1 Huey. It is designed to carry up to four crew members and a fully equipped infantry squad of 11, but it was not clear how many people were aboard the aircraft that crashed Saturday.

With Cote's death, at least 4,345 members of the U.S. military have died in the Iraq war since it began in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count.

It was not clear what mission the Black Hawk was on when it went down, but the U.S. military relies heavily on helicopters to ferry troops, dignitaries and supplies to avoid the threat of ambushes and roadside bombs.

The Balad Air Base was originally a Saddam-era airfield. It was seized by American forces in the early days of the 2003 invasion and has since grown to be one of the largest in Iraq.

It is now home to more than 20,000 U.S. forces and provides air power, logistics and counterterrorism support, as well as training for Iraqi security forces. Its location offers a good vantage point for intelligence gathering across the entire north and specific areas such as the Iranian border.

In addition to serving as a base for Army helicopters and unmanned reconnaissance drones, the U.S. Air Force also uses the base for its F-16 fighters.