Four brave US Marines got killed while performing the drills in a helicopter training exercise.
The Marine Corps identified the dead as Corporal Jacob M. Moore, 24, of Catlettsburg, Kentucky; Gunnery Sergeant James W. Speedy, 30, of Cambridge, Ohio; Captain Matthew J. Tomkiewicz, 27, of Fort Wayne, Indiana; and Captain Ross A. Reynolds, 27, of Leominster, Massachusetts.
The four US Marines who were killed in a helicopter crash during a NATO training exercise off the coast of Norway on Friday have been identified. All four men were assigned to the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing stationed at Marine Corps Air Station in New River, North Carolina.
Major General Michael Cederholm of the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing wrote in a letter to their families: “The pilots and crew were committed to accomplishing their mission and serving a cause greater than themselves.”
“We will continue to execute the mission while keeping these Marines and their service on the forefront of our minds, we will never allow these Marines’ sacrifice to go unnoticed or unappreciated,” he added.
According to the US military news outlet Stars and Stripes, the dead Marines were among the 30,000 NATO troops taking part in annual military exercises 200 miles from Russia’s border in Norway.
The four men were taken from the crash site and are in the process of being returned to the US. The cause of the crash is still under investigation. Officials have shared that the exercise, which had been scheduled for months, had nothing to do with Russia’s unprovoked attack on Ukraine.
Bent Arne Eilertsen, Nordland Police chief of staff, told public broadcaster NRK that the craft appeared to have “major damage.” Eilertsen said the aircraft MV-22B Osprey was spotted from a rescue helicopter and appeared to have crashed in the municipality of Beiarn, Norway.
The Norwegian Joint Rescue Coordination Center (JRCC) said in a statement that the aircraft was reported missing at 6:26 pm local time Friday while heading toward the town of Bodø, located north of the Arctic Circle. The search and rescue team began their mission to locate the aircraft after it was reported missing.
The aircraft’s last known position was by Saltfjellet, a mountainous area of Norland County, the statement added. The Marines said Sunday evening that the aircraft was participating in Exercise Cold Response 2022.
According to NATO’s website, Cold Response 2022 is “a long-planned exercise bringing together thousands of troops from NATO Allies and partners, testing their ability to work together in cold weather conditions across Norway on land, in the air, and at sea.”
Recommended Video For You!
Police Help Mother Duck And Ducklings Safely Cross Busy Street