Chief Warrant Officer 4 Terrance Geer, 40, of Fort Campbell, KY, died when his MH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crashed on the slopes of Mount Massive, Colorado’s second-highest peak near Leadville, CO, while conducting mountain and environmental training on Wednesday, August 19, 2009.

Terrance was born June 28, 1969 in Toledo, OH to George and Barbara Geer. He graduated from Whitmer High School and volunteered for U.S. Navy service in February 1989. After five years in the Navy, he was accepted in the Army Warrant Officer Program at Fort Rucker, AL in 1994. Upon graduation from the UH-1 Helicopter Course in 1995, he was assigned to the 82nd Air Ambulance Medical Company at Fort Riley, KS, as an Aero-Medical Evacuation Pilot and Instructor Pilot.

On June 14th, 1997 at Main Post Chapel in Fort Riley, KS he married Gina Lorraine Engelken. The couple lived in Marysville and Blue Valley Randolph, KS for two years; then in 1998, after completing the Instrument Flight Examiner course; he was assigned to the Combat Maneuver Training Center at Hohenfels, Germany, as a Standardization Instructor Pilot. He and his family resided in Germany for three years.

After a successful assessment in 2002, he and his family relocated to Clarksville, TN where they have resided for eight years. He was assigned to the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) at Fort Campbell, KY, as an Instructor Pilot and Aviation Safety Officer. The 160th SOAR, known as the Night Stalkers, is an elite aviation unit that focuses on transporting Special Forces soldiers, Army Rangers and Navy SEALs into some of the most dangerous areas of the world for covert operations. Using the cover of nightfall and keeping low to the ground to avoid radar detection, the pilots often have to navigate through enemy territory and bad weather to safely deliver and retrieve troops.

He was a combat veteran with 12 deployments, 11 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and one in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

Chief Warrant Officer Geer’s military training included the Warrant Officer Candidate School, the Aviation Warrant Officer Basic Course, the Aviation Warrant Officer Advanced Course, the Electronics Warfare Officer Course, Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape course, the UH-60 Aviator Qualification Course, the UH-1 and UH-60 Instructor Pilot Courses, the Rotary Wing Instructor Flight Examiner Course, and the Aviation Safety Officers Course.

His awards include the Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, three Air Medals for valor, seven Air Medals, Joint Service Commendation Medal, two Army Commendation Medals, Army Achievement Medal, Navy Achievement Medal, Valorous Unit Award, Navy Good Conduct Medal, two National Defense Service Medals, three Southwest Asia Service Medals, Afghanistan Campaign Medal-Campaign Star, Iraqi Campaign Medal-Campaign Star, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Navy Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, Kuwaiti Liberation Medal (Government of Saudi Arabia), Kuwaiti Liberation Medal (Government of Kuwait), Navy Aircrew Insignia Badge, and Senior Aviator Badge.

He and his family were members of Grace Bible Church of Clarksville, TN.

He is survived by his wife Gina Engelken Geer; his son, Braden; his daughter, Emma; his mother, Barbara Geer; two brothers, Anthony and Thomas Geer; and his sister, Tonya Geer.

Memorial contributions are suggested for Answers in Genesis or Children of Fallen Night Stalkers, and may be sent in care of Grace Bible Church, PO Box 551, Clarksville, TN 37041.