Chief Warrant Officer Four Robert “Rob” M. Johnson died 19 August 2009 when his MH-60K Black Hawk helicopter, #378, crashed on Mount Massive during a training mission near Leadville, Colorado.

CW4 Johnson was born on 14 June 1968 and was a native of Seattle, Washington. He volunteered for service in the U.S. Army in April 1990 and after one year of enlisted service, he was accepted into the Army Warrant Officer Program at Fort Rucker, Alabama. Upon graduation from the UH-60 Black Hawk Course, he was assigned to 9th Battalion, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Kentucky, as an Instructor Pilot. In 1996, CW4 Johnson was assigned as a UH-60 Instructor Pilot to 1st Battalion, 52nd Aviation Regiment in Seoul, Korea. In 1997, he returned to Fort Campbell and was assigned to 5th Battalion, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) to again serve as an Instructor Pilot. After a successful assessment in 2001, CW4 Johnson was assigned to 1st Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, as a Flight Lead, Instructor Pilot, and Instrument Flight Examiner.

CW4 Johnson is a combat veteran with 20 deployments, 18 in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM, one in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM, and one in support of Operation GOTHIC SERPENT in Somalia.

CW4 Johnson was a graduate of the Warrant Officer Candidate School, Aviation Warrant Officer Basic Course, Aviation Warrant Officer Advanced Course, Warrant Officer Staff Course, Action Officer Development Course, the Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape (SERE) Course, Air Assault School, UH- 60 Aviator Qualification Course, UH-60 Instructor Pilot Course, and Rotary Wing Instructor Flight Examiner Course. CW4 Johnson earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Professional Aeronautics from Embry- Riddle University in 2009.

CW4 Johnson’s awards include the Distinguished Flying Cross, Meritorious Service Medal (w/2 OLC), Air Medal with Valor Device (w/Numeral 2), Air Medal (w/Numeral 14), Army Commendation Medal (w/4 OLC), Army Achievement Medal (w/5 OLC), Joint Meritorious Unit Award, Army Valorous Unit Award (w/1 OLC), Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal (w/1 Bronze Service Star), Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal (w/1 Bronze Service Star), Iraq Campaign Medal (w/3 Bronze Service Stars), Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism

Service Medal, Korean Defense Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon (w/Numeral 2), United Nations Service Medal, Army Aviator Badge, Senior Army Aviator Badge, Master Aviator Badge, and the Air Assault Badge. He was posthumously awarded the Meritorious Service Medal.

CW4 Johnson is survived by his wife, Sandie; daughter, Morgan; son, Hatch; and mother, Connie. The 1st Battalion aircraft maintenance hangar is dedicated as IRON 378 Hangar in honor of Rob and the crew of MH-60K Black Hawk Tail #378.