Air Force Special Operations Command has confirmed the names of the eight service members who were killed when their Osprey crashed off the coast of Japan during a training mission. The aircraft, a CV-22B Osprey, crashed on November 29, raising concerns about the safety of these types of aircraft. The Air Force has already located the remains of six of the crew members, with three of them recovered. However, the search for the remains of the two crew members who are unlikely to have survived is still ongoing.
The loss of these service members has been deeply felt, with Lt. Gen. Tony Bauernfeind, the head of Air Force Special Operations Command, expressing his sorrow and stating that their honorable service will never be forgotten. President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden have also expressed their condolences and offered their prayers to the families and friends of the victims.
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The crew members who were lost in the crash include Maj. Jeffrey T. Hoernemann, Maj. Eric V. Spendlove, Maj. Luke A. Unrath, Capt. Terrell K. Brayman, Tech. Sgt. Zachary E. Lavoy, Staff Sgt. Jake M. Turnage, Senior Airman Brian K. Johnson, and Staff Sgt. Jacob “Jake” M. Galliher, whose remains were the first to be found.
The Osprey, a hybrid aircraft that can take off and land like a helicopter but fly like an airplane, has been involved in multiple accidents in the past, including in Japan where it is used by both the U.S. and Japanese military. Following this latest crash, Japan has suspended all flights of its own fleet of Ospreys and has requested that the U.S. military ensure their safety before resuming flights. The U.S. military, however, has stated that no formal request has been made and that Osprey flights are still ongoing.
The U.S. military is currently working on recovering the bodies of the crew members and the debris from the crash site. Pieces of wreckage that have been collected by Japan’s coast guard and local fishing boats have been handed over to the U.S. military for examination. The investigation into the cause of the crash is still ongoing.
