7 Marines, 4 soldiers missing after Florida helicopter accident

Marine helicopters fly above Baghdad — (Image credit: Paul J. Richards-Pool/Getty Images)

A spokesman for Eglin Air Force Base in northwest Florida said early Wednesday that seven Marines and four National Guard troops are missing after a helicopter crash during a routine nighttime training mission on a stretch of beach between Pensacola and Destin, Florida. The Marines, based at Camp Lejeune, and the solders, from Hammond, Louisiana, went missing at about 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday night. Debris from the helicopter was found at about 2 a.m. The names of the missing troops are being withheld until next-of-kin are notified.

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.