This week marks 20 years since Nevada lost two of its own in the deadliest helicopter crash in our state’s Army aviation history.
On September 25, 2005, Chief Warrant Officer John Flynn and Sgt. Patrick Stewart, both Reno natives, gave their lives when their Chinook helicopter, Mustang 22, was shot down by a Taliban rocket in Afghanistan.
A memorial ceremony took place Friday at the Nevada National Guard’s Army Aviation Support Facility in Stead, just north of Reno.
Families, veterans, and community members gathered to honor the sacrifice of Flynn, Stewart, and three others who perished that day – Warrant Officer Adrian Stump and Sgt. Tane Baum of the Oregon National Guard, and Sgt. Kenneth Ross of the U.S. Army.
A Mission in the War on Terror
Back in 2005, the United States was deep in the fight against terrorism overseas. The Mustangs, a Nevada National Guard unit, were part of Task Force Storm.
Their job was to fly into dangerous areas and support U.S. and coalition troops battling the Taliban.
On the morning of the crash, Mustang 22 had just dropped off a company of soldiers from the 173rd Airborne Brigade about 180 miles outside Kabul.
As the helicopter lifted off, it was struck by a rocket-propelled grenade. There were no survivors.
For perspective, during that deployment the Mustangs flew nearly 7,000 combat hours. They carried over 47,000 passengers, hauled more than 10 million pounds of cargo, and flew hundreds of medical evacuations.
Their Chinooks often came home riddled with bullet holes and damage from enemy fire, but they kept flying.
Nevada’s Own Sons
Flynn, who grew up in Reno and graduated from Reno High in 1987, had a long history with the Nevada National Guard.
He trained as a pilot at Fort Rucker, Alabama, and became an instructor on the Chinook helicopter.
Stewart, also from Reno and a Washoe High graduate, served in the active-duty Army before joining the Nevada Guard in 2002.
Their deaths hit Nevada especially hard. At the time, they were only the second and third Nevada Guard soldiers to be killed in the Global War on Terror. The first, Spc. Anthony Cometa, had died just three months earlier in Iraq.
Honoring Their Memory
Five years after the crash, in 2010, the Nevada Guard built a permanent Mustang 22 memorial at Stead.
A large granite plaque bears the names and short biographies of each fallen soldier.
The memorial’s design is filled with symbolism: the outer wall measures 60 feet around – the length of a Chinook’s rotor blades – and the inner circle measures 22 feet, honoring the helicopter’s call sign. A set of clock hands is set to 7:35 a.m., the exact time Mustang 22 was shot down.
Last year, thanks to local donors and contractors, the memorial grew even larger. A real Nevada Guard Chinook, the same type as Mustang 22, was mounted on display. Reno’s Pellett Construction and a dozen other businesses donated time and resources to make it happen.
Why It Matters Today
As politics dominate the headlines, it is easy to forget the cost of freedom.
For Nevada families, the Mustang 22 story is a reminder that our state has always done more than its fair share. In fact, Nevada ranks among the top states for per-capita military enlistment.
Critics sometimes question America’s role overseas, but for the families of Flynn and Stewart, the sacrifice was personal.
They remind us that the fight against terrorism was not some distant war – it was a mission Nevadans volunteered for, and some never came home.
A Debt We Can Never Repay
At Friday’s ceremony, officials once again read the names of the five soldiers killed that day.
For those who served with them, the memories are still raw. For younger Nevadans, the Mustang 22 memorial stands as a lesson in courage, sacrifice, and service above self.
It is often said that freedom is not free. The men of Mustang 22 proved that with their lives. Nevada will never forget them.
The opinions expressed by contributors are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Nevada News & Views. This article was written with the assistance of AI. Please verify information and consult additional sources as needed.
