Latest news with #Braman
Associated Press
17 hours ago
- Business
- Associated Press
Army's head of aviation, who faced questions over deadly midair collision, has new role
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Army's head of aviation has changed jobs to become chief of the branch's enterprise marketing office, a move that comes before the National Transportation Safety Board holds hearings next week on January's midair collision between an Army helicopter and a commercial jet that killed 67 people. Brig. Gen. Matthew Braman became chief of the Army Enterprise Marketing Office this month to focus on advertising and boosting recruitment, according to his new bio on an Army website. An Army spokesperson said the plan to move Braman was in place last fall and had nothing to do with the tragedy. The NTSB will hold three days of hearings, starting next Wednesday, on the crash near Reagan Washington National Airport. Braman was among those who faced criticism from some in Congress following the collision over the Potomac River, which was the nation's deadliest plane crash since November 2001. Braman acknowledged during a hearing in March that military helicopters were still flying over the nation's capital with a key system broadcasting their locations turned off during most missions because it deemed them sensitive. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz called it 'shocking and deeply unacceptable' after earlier complaining that the general wasn't answering his questions. Braman repeatedly evaded Cruz's questions during the hearing about whether he would provide a copy of a memo laying out the policy for when Army helicopters fly with their locators turned off. Braman said he wasn't sure he could provide the memo because it was part of the investigation, but the head of the NTSB assured him that would be okay. Former NTSB and FAA crash investigator Jeff Guzzetti, who has followed the crash investigation and watched the hearing, welcomed the news that Braman is no longer leading the Army's aviation unit. 'Personally I think that's a good thing. That guy was just not playing ball in my view,' Guzzetti said. 'He was too protective and defensive and evasive and secretive. And that's not what you need in this type of situation.' Cruz, the Republican chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, said in April that troubling missteps since the crash 'underscore the precarious situation in the nation's airspace.' Expressing frustration with the Army's refusal to turn over a memo detailing its flight rules, Cruz said during the hearing that any deaths resulting from another collision near Reagan Airport 'will be on the Army's hands.' He threatened the Army with a subpoena if it did not give the committee a copy of its memo. The fact that system wasn't activated in the Black Hawk that collided with the passenger jet is a key concern investigators have highlighted. With the location system turned off, the tower had to rely on radar for updates on the helicopter's position that only came once every four seconds instead of every second before the crash. 'It begs the question, what doesn't the Army want Congress or the American people to know about why it was flying partially blind to the other aircraft and to the air traffic controllers near DCA?' Cruz said, using the airport code for Reagan. 'This is not acceptable.'
Winnipeg Free Press
17 hours ago
- Business
- Winnipeg Free Press
Army's head of aviation, who faced questions over deadly midair collision, has new role
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Army's head of aviation has changed jobs to become chief of the branch's enterprise marketing office, a move that comes before the National Transportation Safety Board holds hearings next week on January's midair collision between an Army helicopter and a commercial jet that killed 67 people. Brig. Gen. Matthew Braman became chief of the Army Enterprise Marketing Office this month to focus on advertising and boosting recruitment, according to his new bio on an Army website. An Army spokesperson said the plan to move Braman was in place last fall and had nothing to do with the tragedy. The NTSB will hold three days of hearings, starting next Wednesday, on the crash near Reagan Washington National Airport. FILE - Brig. Gen. Matthew Braman, director of Army Aviation, center, answers questions, joined from left by Jennifer Homendy, chair of the National Transportation Safety Board, and Chris Rocheleau, acting administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration, as the Senate Transportation Subcommittee holds a hearing to examine the preliminary report by the National Transportation Safety Board on the Jan. 29, 2025, midair collision of an Army Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines regional jet, on Capitol Hill in Washington, March 27, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File) Braman was among those who faced criticism from some in Congress following the collision over the Potomac River, which was the nation's deadliest plane crash since November 2001. Braman acknowledged during a hearing in March that military helicopters were still flying over the nation's capital with a key system broadcasting their locations turned off during most missions because it deemed them sensitive. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz called it 'shocking and deeply unacceptable' after earlier complaining that the general wasn't answering his questions. Braman repeatedly evaded Cruz's questions during the hearing about whether he would provide a copy of a memo laying out the policy for when Army helicopters fly with their locators turned off. Braman said he wasn't sure he could provide the memo because it was part of the investigation, but the head of the NTSB assured him that would be okay. Former NTSB and FAA crash investigator Jeff Guzzetti, who has followed the crash investigation and watched the hearing, welcomed the news that Braman is no longer leading the Army's aviation unit. 'Personally I think that's a good thing. That guy was just not playing ball in my view,' Guzzetti said. 'He was too protective and defensive and evasive and secretive. And that's not what you need in this type of situation.' Cruz, the Republican chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, said in April that troubling missteps since the crash 'underscore the precarious situation in the nation's airspace.' Expressing frustration with the Army's refusal to turn over a memo detailing its flight rules, Cruz said during the hearing that any deaths resulting from another collision near Reagan Airport 'will be on the Army's hands.' He threatened the Army with a subpoena if it did not give the committee a copy of its memo. The fact that system wasn't activated in the Black Hawk that collided with the passenger jet is a key concern investigators have highlighted. With the location system turned off, the tower had to rely on radar for updates on the helicopter's position that only came once every four seconds instead of every second before the crash. 'It begs the question, what doesn't the Army want Congress or the American people to know about why it was flying partially blind to the other aircraft and to the air traffic controllers near DCA?' Cruz said, using the airport code for Reagan. 'This is not acceptable.'
USA Today
4 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
50 days until the Texans' 2025 season opener: Who has worn No.50
The Houston Texans are officially 50 days away from kicking off the 2025 season in Los Angeles against the Rams at SoFi Stadium and we're counting down the days until a victory ensues on the west coast. Texans Wire will each day tell you which player has worn the number of the day leading up to kickoff and pick the player who ensured the number best during their time at NRG Stadium. As for today, let's take a look at who has worn No. 50 since the inaugural season in 2002. Texans players to wear No. 50 No. 50 currently belongs to second-year defensive end Solomon Byrd. Mostly found on the practice squad in 2024, the former seventh-round pick did appear in two games last season and recorded a tackle. He's going to need a promising training camp to earn a spot on the active 53-man roster, but given his work ethic, perhaps Houston keeps him around as an option for the practice squad a second straight year. With Byrd barely playing over his lone season with the Texans, he's obviously not the best player to don No. 50, which begs the question: who is? Best Player: Tyrell Adams With the passing of Braman, we want to give a shoutout for his efforts during his time in Houston and the impact he's made to those in the area. On the field, however, Adams was the most consistent player and led all players in tackles who donned the jersey with 141 stops, six sacks and three forced fumbles. Picking are slim, but Adams was a reliable special-teams option and a decent No. 4 linebacker for three seasons. He started 14 games and averaged roughly 7.8 tackles per appearance. It's a solid number for a linebacker who was projected to be a practice squad player. And among the long 2020 COVID-19 season, Adams was one of the few defensive bright spots, notching 120 tackles and a career-best 12 starts. One solid season for the Texans did enough of the heavy lifitng to earn him the accolade over Anderson and Braman, though both made solid cases.
Miami Herald
5 days ago
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Bryan Braman spent his final moments with his daughters before dying of cancer
Bryan Braman was surrounded by those he loved most in the weeks leading up to his death. The 38-year-old former NFL player, who won his first and only Super Bowl with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2018, died on Thursday, July 17, due to 'a rare, aggressive form of cancer,' according to ESPN. Braman's agent, Sean Stellato, confirmed his death in a phone interview with KPRC 2. 'I got the horrible news early in the morning after one of his best friends reached out and said that he took his last breath while surrounded by friends and family,' Stellato told the news outlet. He went on to describe Braman as 'unselfish' and 'generous,' even when he didn't need to be. 'Bryan, people saw this enormous human being, but his heart was big as his body. His spirit was so motivating. He was so real and genuine with everybody. That made him special,' he added, per KPRC 2. In an interview with People, updated July 18, Stellato spoke of how much Braman loved being a father. 'He loved his two girls so, so much. They were everything, his legacy,' he said of the football star's daughters, who 'spent the last two weeks with him when he was dying.' Braman was a proud girl dad to Blakely, 11, and Marlowe, 8, according to The Guardian. Braman was signed by the Houston Texans as an undrafted free agent in 2011 and quickly became a fan favorite for his play on special teams, which had him pegged as a Pro Bowl alternate in 2012, per CNN. He signed with the Eagles in 2014 and again in 2017, spending a total of four years with the team, according to Pro Football Reference. In 2018, after beating the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII, Braman enjoyed a special moment with his agent as they celebrated the win on the field. 'Him and I cried in each other's arms when he won Super Bowl LII on the field. And I was holding his daughter in a photo, which was really cool,' Stellato told People. He further described Braman as a 'gentle giant,' despite his 6'6'', 250-pound frame. 'He'd be the first one to hold the door for someone, to give a few dollars to someone that was homeless, because he was homeless in his earlier days,' says Stellato. Braman reportedly sold his vehicle to help pay for treatment According to The Associated Press, Braman was diagnosed with cancer earlier this year. A GoFundMe page, created in February in honor of Braman, confirmed that the Spokane, Washington, native 'is currently fighting a life-threatening cancer that requires an extensive 12-week treatment program.' 'He is required to have a 24-hour caregiver,' the GoFundMe description read. 'He has no home currently as he has had to pay our of pocket for much of his treatment, and even sold his last vehicle to raise the money for the motel fir this week,' the description continued. In an update on June 20, the organizer of the GoFundMe confirmed that Braman was home with his family after 'undergoing a Car-t cell reprogramming treatment program,' per the page. The football star underwent multiple surgeries, but the cancer continued to fight back. 'They have tried all of the various treatment options, and unfortunately, none of them are working against this cancer,' the update continued. 'But Bryan has not given up.' Several teammates and NFL players have donated to the cause, including J.J. Watt, Rasul Douglas, Chris Long, Quandre Diggs, Duane Brown, Brent Celek, Chris Ballard and Brian Cushing. Braman finished his NFL career with 56 tackles, 1.5 sacks and two fumble recoveries in 97 games played over seven seasons. His last game — the Super Bowl win — turned out to be the biggest of his career.
The Herald Scotland
5 days ago
- Sport
- The Herald Scotland
Bryan Braman dies after months-long battle with cancer
Watt and Stellato were some of several people to post tributes to Braman on social media after his death. "Rest in Peace brother," Watt wrote on X. "Gone far too soon." Rest in Peace brother. Gone far too soon. ???????? — JJ Watt (@JJWatt) July 17, 2025 Stellato posted a picture of a signed Braman jersey to his Instagram and wrote: "My heart hurts. I love you Bryan." Stellato told ESPN that Braman had two daughters, aged 8 and 11. Braman played three years with the Texans and four years with the Eagles over his seven-year NFL career, which ran from 2011 to 2017. He was a notable member of the Eagles' Super Bowl 52-winning team in 2017, blocking a punt against the Atlanta Falcons in the divisional round and recording one tackle in the Super Bowl upset over the Tom Brady-led Patriots.
