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‘They were dedicated professionals, beloved family members and irreplaceable teammates.’

Friends, family, military commands and the aviation community are paying tribute to the eight people killed Monday when a B-52H Stratofortress bomber crashed soon after takeoff from Edwards Air Force Base in Southern California.

Edwards on Wednesday identified the victims: 

·         Lt. Col. Gabriel Estrella, 40, weapon systems officer, Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center, Detachment 5, Edwards AFB, Calif. 

·         Maj. Alexander Davis, 34, weapon systems officer, 419th Flight Test Squadron, Lancaster, Calif. 

·         Maj. Robert Dee, 40, pilot, 419th Flight Test Squadron, Edwards AFB. 

·         Maj. Brad Hovey, 35, pilot, 419th Flight Test Squadron, Edwards AFB. 

·         Jeromy Smith, 32, flight test engineer, 419th Flight Test Squadron, Rosamond, Calif.

·         Col. Gregory Watson, 53, weapon systems officer, Boeing (Air Force reservist), Shreveport, La.

·         Retired Lt. Col. Miles Middleton, 50, pilot, Boeing, Tehachapi, Calif. 

·         Christopher Rischar, 41, flight test engineer, JT4, Lancaster, Calif.

One of the earliest social media tributes came before the names were officially released, in an emotional post Tuesday night from Estrella’s wife, Brianna.

“Our hearts are shattered,” she wrote on Facebook. “He is, and always will be, our hero.”

This particular test flight was one he had been looking forward to, she wrote, calling it a once-in-a-lifetime flight

“He woke up every day excited to go to work,” Brianna wrote. “He would tell anyone who would listen that being a weapons systems officer was his dream job, and that he was fortunate enough to do what he loved every single day. He always encouraged the boys to follow their dreams so they, too, could build lives doing what they loved.”

“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, told workers and families at Edwards on Wednesday. “They were dedicated professionals, beloved family members and irreplaceable teammates. Our thoughts, prayers and deepest sympathies are with their families, loved ones and fellow airmen, Air Force civilians and mission partners affected by this tragedy.”

Deputy base commander Col. James Hayes said Monday that the B-52 was conducting a test flight as part of a program to modernize the bomber’s radar. The eight-engine jet was more than 60 years old.

“It took off and immediately after crashed and burst into flames,” Hayes said.

The cause of the accident is under investigation, which could take six months, according to base officials. The base remains closed for air operations as investigators examine the wreckage that created a long black streak on a runway.

The names of those killed in the crash began to circulate on Tuesday as family and friends posted tributes and started GoFundMe fundraising efforts for the families of the eight crew members.

“Pam Middleton and her two children are facing an unimaginable loss after Pam’s husband, Miles, was tragically killed in the crash of the B-52 at Edwards Air Force Base,” the GoFundMe fundraiser for Middleton said. “With Miles gone, Pam is now responsible for supporting her family on her own.”

Middleton is survived by his wife Pamela, their 17-year-old daughter and 12-year-old son.

Middleton was a U.S. Air Force veteran who held a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Colorado State University and a master’s degree in aeronautical science technology from the University of Tennessee Space Institute, a family member told NBC News. He served in Afghanistan and received several accolades during his service.

Smith had worked for about 10 years as a flight test engineer, his wife, Lauren Smith, 30, told The New York Times on Tuesday after friends and family launched a GoFundMe page.

Raised in Oregon, Smith had received a degree from the Prescott, Ariz., campus of Embry-Riddle University, a leading collegiate aeronautics program.

“He loved his work — as a child, he knew he wanted to go into aeronautics,” Lauren Smith, 30, recalled in the interview. She told NBC News the couple has two small children: Fletcher, 2, and Fallon, who was born four months ago.

Smith, who worked as a flight test engineer at Edwards Air Force Base, was aware of the safety risks inherent in the job, his wife said. “All the time, he would talk about it,” she said.

Rischar was a flight test engineer with government contractor JT4 and had worked at Edwards for 10 years, his wife, Rebecca Rischar, told the Associated Press. He loved airplane museums and showing his two children, 15 and 14, different types of aircraft and how they functioned.

She said her husband’s father, who also works at the base and had seen the crash, called her to ask if Christopher had been flying. “I knew he was on that flight,” she said. “It was routine, and if the plane went up, he was going up with it.”

Rebecca and Christopher met at a church youth group while attending the same high school in nearby Lancaster and had celebrated their 17th wedding anniversary in April, according to the AP. He had just started helping their teenage daughter learn how to drive.

Middleton and Watson worked for Boeing, the company that built the original B-52 in 1952 and has been involved in half a century of modernization of the aircraft still flying 60 years after they were built.

“The loss of Miles and Greg is deeply felt across our teams, and our hearts remain with their families, loved ones and those who worked with them,” Boeing said in a statement.

Hovey was a native of Algona, Iowa, according to television station KCCI in Des Moines.

Social media memorialization of the crew came from individuals and groups. A Facebook group for current and former enlisted airmen and non-commissioned officers created a virtual patch that read “8 Souls. 8 Heroes. Never Forgotten” and “Flying On. Watching Over” with a drawing of a B-52 and the aircraft’s tail number — 061 — along with the date and location of the crash.

Global Strike Command posted on X that the crew died in an effort to secure deterrence.

“We are reminded today that this vital mission carries inherent and sobering risks” the post says. “The souls we lost dedicated their lives to ensuring our capabilities remained strong, safe and ready.”

Risk is inherent in test flights. Several U.S. Air Force bases are named after pilots who died testing new aircraft. Edwards was named in 1950 for Capt. Glen W. Edwards, who flew more than 50 combat missions during World War II and received the Distinguished Flying Cross, among other decorations.

He was killed in 1948 while flying a Northrop YB‑49 “Flying Wing” bomber prototype that broke apart during a test flight.

Edwards is the Air Force’s largest airfield, at more than 481 square miles in the Mojave Desert, with more than 10,000 military, federal civilian and contract personnel assigned to the base.

The 412th Test Wing at Edwards conducts developmental testing of all U.S. Air Force aircraft, weapons systems, software, and components prior to their operational acceptance and throughout their life cycle, according to the Air Force. Edwards is also the testing center for the new B-21 Raider stealth bomber.

The Air Force recently announced the base would host the modernization of the B-52H bombers. The B-52 first flew in April 1952 from Boeing Field in Seattle. The Air Force bought 744 of the bombers between 1952 and 1962, when production ended with the H variant.

The B-52Hs currently in use by the Air Force have a five-member crew: pilot, co-pilot, navigator, bombardier, and an electronic warfare officer who controls the plane’s defensive countermeasures.

The Air Force currently flies 76 B-52H models, which it plans to update with upgraded engines, avionics and other features. Once completed, the modernized bombers will be designated as B-52J.

The updates will “enable the B-52J to remain in the fight for future generations,” the Air Force said.

The B-52 arrived at Edwards Air Force Base in December as the first aircraft to undergo the B-52 Radar Modernization Program. The new Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) had been installed at a Boeing facility in San Antonio, Texas, before arriving at Edwards in December 2025.

“This milestone marks a significant step forward in the aircraft’s ongoing modernization efforts to ensure it remains a critical component of the United States Air Force’s conventional and nuclear long-range strike capabilities,” the Air Force said in a statement.

The radar upgrade is a part of a major overhaul to modernize the B-52 as its planned service life now extends through 2050 and potentially beyond. It will share the Air Force’s long-range bomber role with the new B-21 Raider, which is undergoing flight tests at Edwards.

As the Air Force receives new B-21s, it plans to retire its remaining B-1B Lancers and B-2 Spirits. Along with a new radar, the Air Force’s fleet of 76 B-52s is scheduled to receive additional upgrades, crew compartments, conventional and nuclear communication systems, avionics, weapons, and other capabilities.

A major modification will see the B-52s have their eight engines replaced by modern F130 Rolls-Royce engines, with testing to begin at Edwards as early as the end of this year. It is unclear how Monday’s crash will affect the modernization effort.

After the crash, Edwards officials highlighted mental health and other services available at the base in messages to personnel.

“Coping with Yesterday’s Tragedy — You Are Not Alone,” said a posting to the base’s Facebook page.

“As we process this devastating news, it is vital that we look out for one another,” said a message from the Emergency Family Assistance Center. “Grief affects us all differently and no one should carry the heavy burden alone. Please take a moment to check in with your teammates, your families and yourself”

The base also offered chaplain support, child care assistance, legal counsel and a list of on-base resources. Edwards planned a candlelight vigil on Wednesday afternoon at the airfield flight line.

“I invite all members of Team Edwards to attend as we come together to grieve and support one another,” said Tauer, who called those killed “extraordinary Americans” aiding in the defense of the United States.