Spokane7
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October 30, 2009 in City
Spokane soldier killed in Afghanistan
Chief Warrant Officer Niall D. Lyons, 40, died Oct. 26, 2009, in Darreh-ye Bum, Afghanistan while assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 160th Special operations Regiment, based in Savannah, Ga.
(Full-size photo)
A decorated Spokane soldier was among the seven U.S. servicemen killed in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan this week, the Department of Defense announced Thursday.
Chief Warrant Officer Niall D. Lyons, 40, died Oct. 26 in Darreh-ye Bum, Afghanistan while assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 160th Special Operations Regiment, based in Savannah, Ga. Three federal drug agents also were killed in the crash. Another crash the same day killed four soldiers.
Lyons graduated from Shadle Park High School in 1988, earned a bachelor’s degree in geography from Eastern Washington University in 1995 and spent three years as a soldier before being accepted into the Army Warrant Officer program, where he graduated from flight school in 1999.
He worked as a flight instructor and was deployed in Iraq before being deployed to Afghanistan, according to a biography posted on the Army’s Web site. Lyons won several awards for his army service, including two air medals and four army commendation medals.
He is survived by a son in Alabama and two brothers, a sister, and his mother and father, all of Spokane.
Also killed were Chief Warrant Officer Michael P. Montgomery, 36, of Redmond, Wash.; Staff Sgt Shawn H. McNabb, 24, of Terrell, Texas; Sgt. Josue E. Hernandez-Chavez, 23, of Las Vegas, Nev.; Spc. Nickolas A. Mueller, 26, of Little Chute, Wis., all of the 3rd Battalion 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment with Lyons. Sgt. 1st Class David E. Metzger, 32, of San Diego, Calif., and Staff Sgt. Keith R. Bishop, 28, of Smithtown, N.Y., of the 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group in Fort Bragg, N.C also died.
Sgt. 1st Class David E. Metzger, 32, of San Diego, Calif., and Staff Sgt. Keith R. Bishop, 28, of Smithtown, N.Y., of the 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group in Fort Bragg, N.C also were killed.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Human trafficking suspects released 
Shane0312 on October 29 at 10:47 p.m.
Why are we fighting this war again? Oil? A middle east launching point for further incursions into other oil rich countries? Whats that you say? We are there waving flags and spreading democracy to liberate the people of Afghanistan because we care so much for their well being and welfare. Hmm that doesnt seem to mesh with our capitalist ideals now does it. 70 million a day for this crap. Money well spent or…? Oh and wheres Osama? Wasnt he the one we were after like 8 years ago? How time flies when your having war. Oh wait my bad, we never declared war, like in Vietnam. Bring our boys home on planes and not in boxes anymore. The poor have borne the burden since the inception of an all volunteer force, reinstate the draft and ensure that no matter a persons economic status all will share in the loss of loved ones. See how fast this war comes to a halt if some rich guys kid gets sent to the front.
Rifleman__Dodd on October 30 at 8:15 a.m.
It should be noted that got his wings 11 years after graduating from high school. That would have made him 29, which is pressing the envelope on the age limit. The age limit used to be younger than 28 to get in, but once your in, you could be older.
Not to endorse Sugar Shane’s rant (which is really inappropriate here), but I do concur that its time to support our troops by bringing them home so that fewer dont arrive at Dover Md. Our President campaigned on change and ending this conflict, I have only see change for the worse and no end.
Rest in Peace Chief Warrant Officer Niall D. Lyons. Welcome home.
Shane0312 on October 30 at 10:44 a.m.
Political and social inequality is anything but a “rant”.
Diana on October 30 at 4:10 p.m.
With all due respect to Rifle’s attempt at claiming to be the arbitor of what is appropriate here and what is not, Chief Warrant Officer Niall D. Lyons is just as dead whether or not you romanticize his death with a meaningless patriotic “welcome home”.
Rifleman__Dodd on October 30 at 7:24 p.m.
Diana its meaningless if you dont acknowledge his families sacrifices and him sacrificing his life so that the rest of us might have keep our freedoms, like the right to post your stuff which is meaningless.
So Diana.. how long did you serve in uniform? Or any one in YOUR family?
I was not romanticizing his death, I was dignifying it with some respect. You know R E S P E C T.
You see I know a little about sacrifices. My brother came home shot up from Vietnam. I got the call at home from the Red Cross, called my folks and we all jumped in the 68 Cadilac and my dad drove to McChord over the pass in the wintertime (before there was a freeway) Found out he had been forwarded to Fairchild, and my dad turned the car around and I remember him driving 95 mph over to spokane.
My older brother eventually recoverd physically even though he was missing a chunk ouf of his buttocks, there was metal fragments in his eyes and he would sit at the dinner table and pick out metal fragments out of his arm.
My older brother eventually took his own life. A gunshot to the head. His birthday was the day before Christmas.. it certainly sombers my holidays, how about yours?
I would suggest critizing the government for their actions and not the Service people whom sacrifice so you can stay home all nice warm and cozy with your family. Perhaps it wouldn’t be so meaningless if you switched places with one of those serving overseas in some dirty nasty country.
ashartzer on October 30 at 9:11 p.m.
You are right rifleman I believe he had a age waiver to get into WO school. I cannot remember. I will be praying for his family and especially his son. I am sure his son will be told about the mark his dad made in peoples lives. He did mine. A very special person!