Pilot’s plea deal called
‘insult’ to victim

The man who admits causing
a fatal crash gets 120 days in jail

THE WIDOW OF a Schofield Barracks soldier killed in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan last year called the Army’s plea agreement with the pilot an “insult.”

Chief Warrant Officer Darrin Rogers was sentenced to 120 days in prison after pleading guilty to taking his passengers on “a joy ride” which resulted in the crash of his Black Hawk helicopter and the death of his crew chief.

Rogers, 37, who faced a possible maximum 5 1/2-year jail term, also will be allowed to retire with his 20-year pension intact — valued at $2 million over his lifetime.

Sgt. Daniel Galvan, 30, of Moore, Okla., was the only person killed in the crash on Aug. 12 in Salerno near the border with Pakistan. A total of 11 Marines also were on board.

On the witness stand yesterday, Galvan’s widow, Sonya Galvan, said she wanted Rogers kicked out of the service. “The plea agreement is an insult,” she said.

After opting to be tried by a judge, Rogers pleaded guilty in a Wheeler Army Airfield courtroom to all charges, including violating a lawful order, reckless endangerment and destruction of government property, the helicopter.

Rogers, a Black Hawk pilot for 11 years, was originally sentenced by Col. Debra Boudreau, the Army’s trial judge, to four years and two months in jail, forfeiture of all pay and allowances, and dismissal from the Army. However, under a pretrial agreement signed by Maj. Gen. Eric Olson, 25th Infantry Division commander, before yesterday’s court martial was convened, Rogers will serve 120 days at Fort Leavenworth in Kansas.

In pleading guilty, Rogers admitted that he had failed to obey an order “not to impress anyone” or violate any safety regulations, issued by Lt. Col. Michael Maffet — the 2nd Battalion’s acting commander — while carrying the Marines who were supposed to put on a demonstration for Gen. James Jones, supreme allied commander.

In testimony, Rogers admitted that after being urged on by one of the Marines to “fly hard,” he put the helicopter in a steep climb and rapid dive at an altitude of 300 feet, which prosecutors described as a “joy ride.” Rogers admitted that such a maneuver is normally done at 1,000 feet.

During that maneuver, a chock block, which is used to secure the helicopter while it is on the ground, became dislodged, landing on the pilot’s controls, and Rogers was unable to pull the craft out of the dive.

Judge Boudreau asked Rogers: “So you were just showing off?”

Rogers replied: “Yes ma’am. Basically I was trying to impress the guys in the back.”

Before he was sentenced, Rogers apologized. “I grieve for Mrs. Galvan. I’m truly sorry for all that has happened,” he said. “I am not a bad person. The Army is all I’ve known. A career soldier is all I ever wanted to be.”

Repeatedly, Rogers’ defense attorney, Capt. Darwin Strickland, argued that Galvan did not properly secure the chock block, nor was he securely strapped into his seat and that Rogers should be allowed to keep his retirement pension after imprisonment.

After the 12-hour hearing, Blas Galvan, Daniel Galvan’s father, said he has always felt that only a trial would do justice for him and his family.

“Nothing done to Mr. Rogers would make me feel better,” Blas Galvan said.

But Sonya Galvan said she was pleased that Rogers will never be able to fly again for the Army and “he’ll never be able to do this to anyone else.” She said that regardless of the outcome of the court-martial all she ever wanted was “to prove it was pilot error that caused the crash.”

She said, “My husband is able to fly and rest finally.”