Victims ID'd in B-52 bomber crash that killed 8 at Edwards Air Force Base

Edwards Air Force Base has released the names of the eight people killed in a B-52 Stratofortress bomber crash on Monday. The deceased include military personnel, Boeing employees and government civilians. The deceased include weapons system officers Lt. Col. Gabriel Estrella, 40, and Maj. Alexander Davis, 34. Estrella was part of the Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center at Edwards. 419th Test Squadron pilots Maj. Robert Dee, 40, and Maj. Brad Hovey, 35, were also among the dead. The others killed were Jeremy Smith, 32, a flight test engineer from the 419th Flight Test Squadron; Christopher Rischar, 41, a contractor and flight test engineer; retired Lt. Col. Miles Middleton, 50, a Boeing pilot; and Col. (select) Gregory Watson, 53, a weapons officer for Boeing and Air Force reservist assigned to the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base in Fort Worth, Texas. "It is with profound sorrow and a heavy heart that I can now share the names of the eight extraordinary Americans we lost during Monday's B-52 crash," Col. Thomas Tauer, 412th Test Wing commander, said in a news release identifying the deceased. "They were dedicated professionals, beloved family members and irreplaceable teammates. ... These Airmen were more than coworkers. They were friends, mentors, teammates and valued members of our Edwards and Air Force family." The service members killed in the B-52 crash at Edwards Air Force Base. …