The U.S. Army on Friday said it was grounding its aviation units until they receive further training.
All Army aviators are grounded “except for those participating in critical missions,” the Army said in a statement.
The move comes after two helicopters collided in Alaska earlier this week, killing three soldiers and injuring a fourth.
In March, nine soldiers were killed in Kentucky when two Army Black Hawk medical evacuation helicopters crashed during a nighttime training exercise.
The Associated Press reports that all the training will take place during the month of May.
Army Chief of Staff James McConville said, “The safety of our aviators is our top priority, and this stand down is an important step to make certain we are doing everything possible to prevent accidents and protect our personnel.”
