U.S.
NY National Guard mourns loss of 2 warrant officers, Border Patrol agent killed in Texas helicopter crash
Staff and wire reports
March 10, 2024
New York Army National Guard Chief Warrant Officer 2 Casey Frankoski, left, and Chief Warrant Officer 2 John Grassia were killed when a UH-72 Lakota helicopter they were flying crashed near Rio Grande City, Texas, on March 8, 2024. (New York National Guard)
The New York National Guard on Sunday mourned the loss of two soldiers killed Friday in a helicopter crash in a field near Rio Grande City, Texas, during a mission in support of border security.
Chief Warrant Officer 2 Casey Frankoski, 28, of Rensselaer, N.Y., and Chief Warrant Officer 2 John Grassia, 30, of Schenectady, N.Y., were assigned to Detachment 2, A Company of the 1st Battalion, 244th Aviation Regiment, according to a statement from the New York National Guard.
Also killed was Border Patrol agent Chris Luna.
A third soldier from the New York National Guard was critically injured. The soldier, whose name isn’t being released, was the aircraft crew chief. The soldier remained hospitalized.
The crash is under investigation.
“We are all shocked and devastated by the loss of Chief Warrant Officer 2 Grassia and Chief Warrant Officer 2 Frankoski,” said Maj. Gen. Ray Shields, the adjutant general of New York. “We are praying for the quick recovery of the crew chief who was injured in the crash. Our deepest condolences also go out to the family and friends of the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agent who was also killed.”
Border Patrol agent Chris Luna was among those killed in the helicopter crash near Rio Grande City on Friday, March 8, 2024. (U.S. Customs and Border Protection)
Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas said in a statement Sunday that the agency is devastated, calling Luna “a heroic public servant.”
“Every single day, our Border Patrol agents place themselves in harm’s way so that the rest of us can be safe and secure,” the statement said. “My thoughts, and the deepest condolences of our department, are with agent Luna’s family, loved ones and colleagues and with those of the National Guardsmen who lost their lives. We hope for the injured service member’s swift recovery and hold our National Guard colleagues and their families in our thoughts as well.”
The UH-72 Lakota helicopter, in use by Joint Task Force North, was not one of the two UH-72s operated by the New York Army National Guard, according to the news release. It was assigned to the District of Columbia Army National Guard.
Joint Task Force North is a military unit that supports the Customs and Border Protection operations on the southwest border.
The New York detachment, which specializes in flying missions in support of civilian agencies, is based at Army Aviation Flight Facility #3 at Albany International Airport in Latham, N.Y., the Guard said. Twenty-one soldiers from the units deployed to Texas in October 2023 to support the federal military mission. They are operating on federal duty status and are not part of the Texas National Guard’s Operation Lone Star.
Frankoski enlisted in the New York Army National Guard in October 2016. She was appointed as a warrant officer in 2019 and trained to become a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter pilot. She was promoted to the rank of Warrant Officer 2 in 2021.
Frankoski deployed to Kuwait from November 2018 to September 2019 with Detachment 5, Company C, 2nd Battalion, 245th Aviation Regiment as a mission planner. The unit flies the Army’s C-12 transport aircraft.
Her military awards include: the Army Commendation Medal; the Army Achievement Medal; the National Defense Service Medal; the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal; the Army Service Ribbon; the Armed Forces Service Medal; the Non-Commissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon; the Armed Forces Reserve Medal; the Basic Aviator Badge; and the Basic Aviation Badge.
Grassia has served in the New York Army National Guard since 2012.
He deployed to Kuwait with Company A of the 3rd Battalion, 142nd Assault Helicopter Battalion from September 2013 to September 2014. He was also on state active duty from 2020 to 2022 as part of the New York National Guard’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
His military awards include: the Army Commendation Medal; the Army Achievement Medal; the Army Good Conduct Medal; the Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal; the National Defense Service Medal; the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal; the Armed Forces Service Medal; the Army Service Ribbon; the Armed Forces Reserve Medal; and the Basic Aviator Badge.
The latest crash comes just two weeks after two Mississippi National Guardsmen were killed on Feb. 23 when their AH-64 Apache helicopter went down during a routine training flight. The crash occurred near Booneville, Miss.
On Feb. 6, five Marines died in a helicopter crash outside of San Diego when their CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter went down at Pine Valley, Calif. The helicopter was on a night flight between Creech Air Force Base near Las Vegas and Miramar.
Contributing: The Associated Press
