The Army yesterday identified the soldiers as:

• Lt. Col. Michael J. McMahon, 41, of Connecticut. McMahon, an aviation officer, was commissioned in the Army in May 1985 and was assigned to Schofield Barracks in June 2002.

McMahon is believed to be the highest ranking military member with a Hawai'i-based unit to be killed in the war and is one of the highest ranking service members killed in Iraq or Afghanistan in the current campaign.

• Chief Warrant Officer Travis W. Grogan, 31, of Moore, Okla. Grogan, an aviation logistics warrant officer, enlisted in August 1991 and was assigned to Schofield Barracks in August 2001.

• Spc. Harley D. Miller, 21, of Spokane, Wash. Miller , who repaired OH-58D Kiowa helicopters, enlisted in the Army in April 2002. He was assigned to Schofield Barracks in September 2003.

This morning's prayer service is not open to the public.

McMahon was a member of St. John Vianney Catholic church in Enchanted Lake. His wife, Jeanette, an Army colonel at Fort Shafter, is an active member of the congregation and their three sons are students in its school.

"He was a very involved father," said Principal Jane Quinn of St. John Vianney School. "Despite a busy military career, he was always present for parent conferences and school activities."

McMahon also was a Boy Scout leader and was involved in the community sports teams that his sons played on, Quinn said. His constant enthusiasm for life touched the boys and their friends, Quinn said.

"Before he left, he was at church every Sunday with his family," she said. "He was enthusiastic and interested in what they were doing and with the other school kids."

When he left for Afghanistan, the students in his oldest son's class threw him a party. On Tuesday morning, they learned that he had died in the mountains of Afghanistan.

"They have done a lot of praying about it," Quinn said. "When the kids learned it, the two classes where the two older children were, they went to Mass right away. There is not much you can do, but you can pray."

The deaths bring to 12 the number of Schofield soldiers killed in Afghanistan since May. There are about 5,800 25th Division troops in Afghanistan.

The cause of the crash in under investigation, although Army officials said there is no indication that hostile fire brought down the CASA 212. The plane went down Saturday while en route from the U.S. military base at Bagram to Shinband.

Reach Curtis Lum at culum@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8025. Reach Mike Gordon at mgordon@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8012.