Mankato native among 5 soldiers who died in helicopter crash in Mediterranean Sea

A 24-year-old Mankato native was among the five U.S. soldiers who died in a helicopter crash during a training exercise in the Mediterranean Sea on Friday.

Sgt. Cade Wolfe was a 2018 Mankato East High School graduate who was part of aerial refueling training Friday when the helicopter experienced a malfunction that led the helicopter to crash in the sea, according to the U.S. Department of Defense.

"This is devastating news that reverberates across the entire special operations community." Lt. Gen. Jonathan Braga, commander of the U.S. Army Special Operations Command, said in a statement.

"We mourn the loss of these five incredible soldiers, each of them a national treasure. They hail from rare patriotic families with deep military service ties that span multiple generations and formations," he said.

Friends and family mourned Wolfe on social media over the weekend, remembering a fitness fanatic who was passionate about serving in the military. They say Wolfe was caring, and brought energy and joy to others around him.

"He just wanted to make people laugh and wanted to laugh himself," said Chad Ziemke, general manager of the Fitness for 10 gym in Mankato.

Wolfe was a member of Fitness for 10 since it opened in 2013 and liked to work out with his dad and brother whenever they were all back in town. Ziemke said Wolfe was "kind of a knucklehead" when he first joined as a teen but grew into a respectable man who had checked into the gym more than 800 times before enlisting in the Army.

"He was the hardest worker in the room," Ziemke said. "Cade loved his country and I'd say that's what he would want everyone else to do."

Wolfe joined the Army in 2018, following his father, Scott, and brother, Cooper, who also served in the military.

Scott Wolfe is a Waseca County sheriff's deputy who served in the Army's 82nd Airborne Division. He survived the infamous Green Ramp disaster in March 1994 when two military planes collided over Pope Air Force Base in North Carolina. One of the planes crashed into the ground, killing 24 soldiers.

Cade Wolfe enlisted as a Blackhawk helicopter repairer and was assigned to the 25th Combat Aviation Brigade at Wheeler Army Airfield in Hawaii. He was later assigned to the 1st Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, which provides helicopter support for special operations forces. The 160th is headquartered at Fort Campbell, Ky.

He served as a helicopter crew chief, and earned several awards and decorations, including two commendation medals.

Wolfe's parents said Monday they are traveling to Tennessee to be with Cade's brother and family. No funeral arrangements have been made at this time.

The Department of Defense identified the other soldiers killed in the crash as Chief Warrant Officer Stephen Dwyer, 38, of Clarksville, Tenn.; Chief Warrant Officer Shane Barnes, 34, of Sacramento, Calif., Staff Sgt. Tanner Grone, 26, of Gorham, N.H., and Sgt. Andrew Southard, 27, of Apache Junction, Ariz.

President Joe Biden mourned Wolfe and the other soldiers in a statement Sunday, calling for prayers for the soldiers' families.

"Our service members put their lives on the line for our country every day," Biden said. "They willingly take risks to keep the American people safe and secure. And their daily bravery and selflessness is an enduring testament to what is best in our nation."

The U.S. has built up its force presence in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East in response to Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on Israel. There are two carrier strike groups operating in the region, U.S. Air Force squadrons have received additional crews and warplanes, and U.S. special operations forces have been added to help Israel in efforts to rescue hostages taken into Gaza.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.