PITTSFIELD, MA — A man from Massachusetts has been identified as a United States Air Force staff sergeant who was killed in an Osprey crash off the coast of Yakushima Island in Japan on Wednesday.
The body of Sergeant Jacob “Jake” M. Galliher, 24, from Pittsfield, was recovered during an extensive search and rescue operation. However, the whereabouts of the seven other Airmen who were also on board the aircraft remain unknown.
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Galliher enlisted in the United States Air Force in 2017 and served as a direct support operator assigned to the 43rd Intelligence Squadron.
In a statement issued by his family, they expressed their grief and requested privacy and prayers for Galliher’s wife, two children, and other family members. They described Galliher as an incredible son, brother, husband, father, and friend who touched the lives of many in Pittsfield and beyond.
The cause of the crash, which occurred during a training mission, is currently under investigation. The search and rescue operation involves air, surface, and subsurface area searches of the water and coastline.
The aircraft involved in the crash is a CV-22B Osprey, one of six deployed to Yokota Air Base and assigned to the 353rd Special Operations Wing. The Osprey is a tilt-rotor aircraft that can take off and land like a helicopter and fly like an airplane while in the air.
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While the search and rescue operation continues, U.S. Osprey operations in Japan are ongoing, but the remaining five Ospreys from the squadron involved in the crash are not currently flying.
Lieutenant General Tony Bauernfeind, an Air Force special operations commander, expressed his determination to bring the Air Commandos home safely and stated that the joint force and Japanese allies are united in their efforts.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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