03/21/2022
Gone but not forgotten 🇺🇸 |
We offer our deepest condolences to the families of the four Marines that died in a crash during a training flight south of Bodo, Norway in support of Exercise Cold Response 2022, March 18, 2022.
All four Marines were assigned to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 261.
The names of the deceased are:
- Capt. Matthew J. Tomkiewicz of Fort Wayne, Indiana
- Capt. Ross A. Reynolds of Leominster, Mass.
- Gunnery Sgt. James W. Speedy of Cambridge, Ohio
- Cpl. Jacob M. Moore of Catlettsburg, Kentucky
The aircraft was an MV-22B Osprey with “a crew of four [which] was out on a training mission in Nordland county” in northern Norway, the Norwegian armed forces said.
It was on its way north to Bodoe, where it was scheduled to land just before 6pm.
The Osprey crashed in Graetaedalen in Beiarn, south of Bodoe. Police said a search and rescue mission was launched immediately. At 1.30am on Saturday, police arrived at the scene and confirmed that the crew of four had died.
The annual Nato drills in Norway are unrelated to the war in Ukraine. This year they include about 30,000 troops, 220 aircraft and 50 vessels from 27 countries. Non-Nato members Finland and Sweden are also participating.
The Marine Corps assisted the Norwegian-led recovery effort. The deceased Marines were successfully removed from the crash site and are in the process of being returned to the U.S.
The cause of the crash is currently
under investigation.
The deceased will be reunited with their families through dignified transfer in the coming days.
