I heard about that. Very tragic.

This tragedy strikes a personal tone with me. I served as a radioman and navigator on Coast Guard HC-130s out of Sacramento just a few short years ago, the same station that the crashed C-130 is based from. I flew in numerous missions very similar to this one. One gets to know your buddies quite well on these flights, which typically run nine hours and can stretch as long as 14 hours.

I was positively heartbroken to hear of this accident. The buddies I served with there are some of the most genuinely nice people I have ever known, and definitely the coolest I've ever hung out with. They are the best friends I ever had.

There are different crews there now, though there may be some reassigned guys due to the fact there are only four or five C-130 stations in the Coast Guard, Sacramento being one of them. Still feels all the same.

My thoughts and prayers are with the C-130 and helicopter crews, and their families.