La Nat Guard soldiers among those killed in helicopter crash. *PRAYERS*

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PENSACOLA, LA (AP) - Seven Marines and four soldiers are missing after an Army helicopter crashed during a night training exercise at Eglin Air Force Base in the Florida Panhandle. Base officials said the Marines are part of a Camp Lejeune-based special operations group and the soldiers are from a Hammond, Louisiana-based National Guard unit.

Eglin spokesman Andy Bourland said the helicopter was reported missing around 8:30 p.m. Tuesday and search and rescue crews found debris from the crash around 2 a.m. Wednesday.

The helicopter went down during a routine training mission on a remote swath of beach between Pensacola and Destin. The beach is owned by the military and is used for test missions.

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some buddies of mine are in National Guard out of Hammond

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My brother used to be stationed at Eglin

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Waiting to hear from a friend who flies out of there...

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I have some cousins based out of Hammond.

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Me too

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A military official says the seven Marines and four soldiers aboard an Army helicopter that crashed over waters off Florida during a training mission are presumed dead.

The Pentagon official said Wednesday that the 11 service members are presumed dead and that the Coast Guard found debris in the water. The official spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the official wasn't authorized to speak on the record.

Andy Bourland, a spokesman for Elgin Air Force Base outside Pensacola, says the UH-60 Black Hawk from the Army National Guard was reported missing around 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, and crews found debris around 2 a.m.

The area was under a fog advisory Wednesday. The crash scene is near a remote swath of beach between Pensacola and Destin. It's owned by the military and used for test missions.

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Expecting the worst but still praying for the best.

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