Fallen Ohio soldier was near retirement

KETTERING, Ohio (AP) — An Ohio solider killed in a helicopter crash last weekend was nearing the end of his second tour of duty in Afghanistan, after two tours in Iraq.

The Department of Defense said Army Chief Warrant Officer James Groves III was killed Saturday when the helicopter he was piloting crashed near Kandahar. Mechanical failure is expected.

The 37-year-old Groves was a graduate of Fairmont High School in the Dayton suburb of Kettering. He enlisted in the Army after high school in 1994.

His mother told The Dayton Daily News that Groves was near the end of his final tour and planned to retire after 20 years.

Survivors include his wife Katie and two sons, ages 12 and 9.

He will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington.