Mustang 22 was the call sign for the Nevada Army National Guard's CH-47D Chinook helicopter that was shot down in a rocket propelled grenade attack in Afghanistan on September 25, 2005.
This Wednesday will mark the 19th anniversary of the tragic crash that killed five soldiers including two Nevada Army Guardsman, Chief Warrant Officer 3 John Flynn, and Sgt. Patrick Stewart.
The construction on the Nevada Army Guards' memorial display addition has been completed and will be dedicated this Wednesday.
The Nevada Army Guard says a once-shot-down CH-47D Chinook that had been permanently grounded by the U.S. Army after suffering structural damage from bullet holes to its hull after serving 27 months of missions will take to the skies once again above the Army Aviation Support Facility in Reno as a static display addition to the Mustang 22 Memorial.
The display addition to the memorial was made possible by Pellett Construction and many other companies who donated their labor and materials, along with the Mustang 22 Memorial non-profit organization who paid for the painting and refurbishment of tail no. 200.
Original Story - May 2, 2024
A Nevada Army Guard Chinook Helicopter, similar to one shot down in Afghanistan in 2005, is being added to a display at the Army Aviation Support Facility in Reno.
A Nevada Army Guard Chinook helicopter, similar to one shot down in Afghanistan in 2005, is being added to a display at the Army Aviation Support Facility in Reno.
It's the newest addition to the Mustang 22 Memorial at the base in Stead, a tribute to the Mustang 22 mission flown in Afghanistan on September 25, 2005. Five soldiers died when their Chinook helicopter was shot down.
"It was one of the worst days of our lives," says Col. Matt Jonkey, who was stationed at a nearby base at the time. "Part of it's just shock, a ton of sadness and you're conflicted because you have a mission to do and even though something like that happens and you've just lost five of your close friends that you've known for a long time, the next day you have to go out and fight a war. So I think it was one of the most emotionally challenging things we all went through."
Retired Chief Warrant Officer 5 Sean Laycox, was getting ready to take off on another mission when he got the news about Mustang 22. He's now part of a nonprofit group, the Mustang 22 Memorial Foundation, that has worked to build a memorial to those soldiers and raise money for scholarships to children of the fallen.
"They had just got done inserting 25 plus combat troops when they left and got shot by an RPG on exit," he said.
Two of them were from Northern Nevada; Chief Warrant Officer 3 John Flynn and Sgt. Patrick Stewart.
"Patrick Stewart from Fernley and John Flynn from Reno," Jonkey said. "He worked for Granite Construction, was just like every other community member out there during the week, and weekends he spent his time out here dedicated to training our pilots and he was the command pilot on that aircraft."
The crew's names are now inscribed on a different Chinook - the same model as the one lost in Afghanistan. It also flew missions there, but had been sitting, out of commission for a decade, until the Mustang 22 Memorial Foundation decided to restore it, and add it to the existing memorial at the base in Stead.
"This is basically an expansion of the Mustang 22 Memorial, we call it Chinook on a stick, just because it rolls off the tongue," Laycox said. "It's a model D Chinook and the tail number was changed to 200, which was the tail number for Mustang 22."
A local company, Pellett Construction, is donating all their time and materials to the cause, along with a dozen other contractors.
"Everybody, once you explained to them what it was and what it was for, couldn't wait to jump on board," said the company's owner, Kyle Pellett. "We're always looking to give back to the community and on top of that, to be able to honor and help these service members and their families, it was a no-brainer."
In a few months, it will be on display for all those who enter the base at Stead; a reminder of those who came before.
"I want these kids, these men and women to remember this for generations to come," Jonkey said. "And when they come in, they're going to be able to see it, experience what these folks went through, and they'll be able to understand that their service is not forgotten and that we will remember them forever."
The concrete for the memorial has been poured and updates on the project are being updated at: https://www.facebook.com/Mustang22Memorial/
