A junior Navy officer was among 11 killed on June 21 when a skydiving plane crashed on Oahu.
Lt. Joshua Drablos, 27, had been stationed with U.S. Fleet Cyber Command in Hawaii since May, according to the Navy.
He was promoted to lieutenant 20 days before his death.
“Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family, friends, and shipmates of Lt. Joshua Drablos during this extremely difficult and painful time,” the head of U.S. Fleet Cyber Command, Vice Adm. Timothy White, said in a statement.
"Joshua was an invaluable member of the Fleet Cyber team, and we are deeply saddened by the loss of this humble warrior.”
Drablos graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 2015 and grew up in Virginia, according to Navy records and his sister, Anne Marie Drablos.
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She said he was the oldest of four siblings and is being remembered as a kind, athletic and loving friend and family member.
The nation’s deadliest plane crash since 2011, the mishap occurred just after takeoff from Dillingham Airfield, according to media reports.
Firefighters were called to the scene at about 6:30 p.m. and found the plane “fully engulfed in fire,” Honolulu Fire Department Chief Manuel Neves told reporters at the scene.
Geoff is the managing editor of Military Times, but he still loves writing stories. He covered Iraq and Afghanistan extensively and was a reporter at the Chicago Tribune. He welcomes any and all kinds of tips at geoffz@militarytimes.com.
