The U.S. Air Force on Tuesday identified all eight airmen believed to have died last week when a U.S. military aircraft crashed off the coast of Japan.
Crews scoured the waters near Yakushima Island in the days after a CV-22 went down Nov. 29 during a routine training mission, officials said. On Monday, the Air Force Special Operations Command said rescue efforts had shifted to search and recovery operations, indicating that survivors are unlikely to be found.
President Joe Biden said he and his wife, first lady Jill Biden, were focused on search and rescue efforts and heartbroken Tuesday to learn of the deaths.
“Our service members and their families are the backbone of our nation,” the president said. “We owe them everything. Jill and I are praying for the families and friends who lost a loved one in this terrible accident.”
Hours after the crash, Japanese officials found the body of U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Jacob “Jake” Galliher, 24, a direct support operator from Pittsfield, Massachusetts, who was based out of Yokota Air Base in Japan. The remains of two other airmen have since been recovered and the remains of three others have been located.
Search crews continue to look for the remains of the remaining two airmen.
The Air Force identified the airmen killed in the crash as:
- U.S. Air Force Maj. Jeffrey T. Hoernemann, 32, of Andover, Minnesota, a CV-22 instructor pilot and officer in charge of training assigned to the 21st Special Operations Squadron, 353rd Special Operations Wing, Yokota Air Base, Japan.
- U.S. Air Force Maj. Eric V. Spendlove, 36, of St. George, Utah, a residency trained flight surgeon and medical operations flight commander assigned to the 1st Special Operations Squadron, 353rd Special Operations Wing, Kadena Air Base, Japan.
- U.S. Air Force Maj. Luke A. Unrath, 34, of Riverside, California, a CV-22 pilot and flight commander assigned to the 21st Special Operations Squadron, 353rd Special Operations Wing, Yokota Air Base, Japan.
- U.S. Air Force Capt. Terrell K. Brayman, 32, of Pittsford, New York, a CV-22 pilot and flight commander assigned to the 21st Special Operations Squadron, 353rd Special Operations Wing, Yokota Air Base, Japan.
- U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Zachary E. Lavoy, 33, of Oviedo, Florida, a medical operations flight chief assigned to the 1st Special Operations Squadron, 353rd Special Operations Wing, Kadena Air Base, Japan.
- U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Jake M. Turnage, 25, of Kennesaw, Georgia, a flight engineer assigned to the 21st Special Operations Squadron, 353rd Special Operations Wing, Yokota Air Base, Japan.
- U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Brian K. Johnson, 32, of Reynoldsburg, Ohio, a flight engineer assigned to the 21st Special Operations Squadron, 353rd Special Operations Wing, Yokota Air Base, Japan.
On Tuesday, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said he was “deeply saddened by the loss.”
“My heart also goes out to those who were serving alongside these brave men and women in Japan,” he said. “We continue to gather information on this tragic incident, and we will conduct a rigorous and thorough investigation.”
The cause of the Nov. 29 remained unclear Tuesday.
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