A UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter from the 25th Infantry Division was out practicing how to drop supplies from the air yesterday in Hawaii, when one of their drops missed its target, falling on the campus of an elementary school. It’s safe to say they might need more practice.
The equipment bundle fell on a fence line at Waimānalo Elementary and Intermediate School in Waimānalo, Hawaii, located on the island of Oahu, about 30 miles southeast of Schofield Barracks, where the 25th Infantry Division is based. The package fell around 12:15 p.m., the school’s principal said in a letter to parents. It’s not know what equipment the bundle contained, but no one was hurt in the incident.
The bundle was supposed to land at a target 200 meters away, according to Hawaii News Now. The bundle was retrieved by Honolulu police and returned to the 25th Infantry Division; Army officials, meanwhile, said they would investigate what happened.
So did the school’s principle, in a letter that’s worth reproducing here:
I suppose living near an Army base leaves you vulnerable to mishaps like this, though, because this was training, I’m assuming the bundle didn’t have anything, you know, actually dangerous inside. The intended drop zone was just 200 meters away from the school, after all. Much more alarming would be that the Army means to drop dangerous things two football fields from where children learn. I’ve emailed the Army and will update this post when I get a chance.