When Nancy Kellogg's husband flew over enemy territory during the Vietnam War, she knew there was a chance he wouldn't return alive; however, a couple of years later while she was grocery shopping, it never occurred to her that her husband could die during that regular work day - an average training flight in North Dakota. But, he did.

   This week's tragedy involving two helicopters from Joint Base Lewis-McChord which took the lives of 4 Soldiers brought the memories of her own tragedy rushing back, however, after many years, Kellogg has learned to deal with the pain. 

   The military profession by design is a dangerous occupation.  When soldiers deploy to war, there is a constant reminder from the media and support groups that some spouses will not return alive to their families; but many spouses forget how dangerous a regular training environment can be as well.

   "I never thought he could be killed training." Kellogg explained from her Lakewood home. "Dutch died in September, but that May before, we lost a pilot at Miramar - even though that happened I still didn't think it would happen to me," she explained. 

   Dutch Randall was operating his F-106 over Minot, North Dakota in September 1974 when another jet which was participating in the exercise clipped Randall's plane.  Randall never recovered the craft and crashed a few miles from the Air Force base.  The other pilot landed safely. 

   Kellogg said she knew immediately her husband was dead when the base chaplain and her husband's commander drove up her driveway. "You just know when you see them," she added.

   Kellogg said when she heard about JBLM's recent crash, she immediately thought of the families. 

   "I knew exactly what they were going through - and all those feelings I had when Dutch was killed were not so far removed anymore."

   She says it is the military families and friends which keep a person together.

   "I came home for the funeral (to Kent, Washington) and I couldn't wait to get back to my military friends," she said.

   "If they had personally been through it or not, they understood; here, people felt sorry for me, but the people in the military were more supportive of my needs and wants."

Melanie Casey, a JBLM spouse lost her brother Sgt. Frank Winters in a training accident on Sept. 25, 1987 at Fort Bragg, N.C. while assigned to the 1st Ranger Battalion, 75th Infantry division in Savannah, Ga.

"Family members always know that their Soldier is in a dangerous business, even if they never talk about it," Casey said. "We all dread that knock on the door, particulary when our Soldier is deployed or in the field." 

Casey said that at some point, spouses realize they can't live their lives in fear. 

"Deep down, we probably prepare for it in some way regardless, steeling ourselves against the unthinkable. That said, there is nothing that can really prepare you for when a Soldier dies in a training accident. People on the outside often don't even realize the dangers involved with everyday training for those in uniform," she added.

Casey said that families may take some comfort, perhaps, in knowing that the Soldier was doing what he or she loved and knew the risks involved.

"I know our family did," she added. "Unlike with a car accident that comes out of the blue, families know there is an inherent risk every single day that a Servicemember goes to work. A lot is said about Soldiers who die in combat, and they are rightly lauded as heroes. But Soldiers who die in training accidents are no less heroic. Sacrifice is sacrifice -- the death is no less permanent, the void no less empty if it comes accidentally. 

Kellogg has some advice for today's military spouses.  She said they shouldn't be paranoid and think the worse everytime their spouses go to work, but they should talk to their husbands or wives to discuss the future and what life would be like without them.  Kellogg said she and her late husband had discussed that before he went to Vietnam, which made decision making a little easier when he died. 

   "I knew what he wanted me to do - he wanted me to move back to Washington and be near the family."

Monday's crash is not a first for air accidents involving military craft assigned to JBLM.  A C-141 from McChord Field crashed in Montana during an air refueling training mission, Nov 30, 1992.  A memorial to the 13 Airmen that died was erected on McChord in 2010.  On March 21, 1975, a McChord C-141 crashed into the Cascade mountain range during training, killing 10 crew members and six passengers.

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