Marines release names of Americans killed in NATO exercise crash

[Boats]

Marines release names of Americans killed in NATO exercise crash
By: Emily Jacobs - Washington Examiner - Weekend News Editor - 03-21-22
Re: https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/n...exercise-crash

Authorities have identified the four U.S. Marines who were killed during a NATO cold response training exercise in Norway on Friday.

The U.S. Marines Corps identified the deceased as Capt. Matthew J. Tomkiewicz of Fort Wayne, Indiana, Capt. Ross A. Reynolds of Leominster, Massachusetts, Gunnery Sgt. James W. Speedy of Cambridge, Ohio, and Cpl. Jacob M. Moore of Catlettsburg, Kentucky. The men, who were based out of North Carolina, crashed their MV-22 Osprey on Friday after navigating rough terrain in poor weather conditions. They ranged in age from 24 to 30.

The bodies were in the process of being returned to the United States, a spokesperson said.

“The pilots and crew were committed to accomplishing their mission and serving a cause greater than themselves,” Maj. Gen. Michael Cederholm of the 2d Marine Aircraft Wing wrote in a letter to the families of the fallen.

The cause of the crash remained under investigation, though Norwegian police have speculated that bad weather played a major role.

The four service members assigned to the Marine Aircraft Wing were headed for Bodo, a municipality on a peninsula in the Norwegian Sea that is known to have strong winds, per the Norwegian officials' statement.

NATO conducts cold weather exercises on a biannual basis in which its forces test their ability to contend with cold conditions on land, in the air, and at sea. Exercises began earlier this month and are slated to continue through April. Over 30,000 troops from 27 NATO countries will participate, according to NATO. The cold weather exercises will continue, but NATO will take precautions in light of the poor weather conditions, officials said.

V-22s, such as the one used in the incident, merge the "vertical performance of a helicopter with the speed and range of a fixed-wing aircraft," according to Boeing, which manufactures the aircraft.
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Personal note:
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We here at the Patriot Files.com site - send our respects to the Marine Families and Friends
for their loss. We salute them for their service to our Country. May they all rest in peace
knowing they are not forgotten. cc: [url]www.partriotfiles.com - (Boats)