According to authorities, the annual NATO drill the crew was doing was unrelated to the war taking place in Ukraine.
The four U.S. Marines killed during a NATO exercise in northern Norway on Friday when their MV-22B Osprey aircraft crashed have been identified, according to published news reports.
On Sunday, the names of the deceased were released. They include Captain Matthew J. Tomkiewicz, 27, of Fort Wayne, Indiana; Captain Ross A. Reynolds, 27, of Leominster, Massachusetts; Gunnery Sargent James W. Speedy, 30, of Cambridge, Ohio; and Corporal Jacob M. Moore, 24, of Catlettsburg, Kentucky, CBS News reported.
All four crew members were on a training mission known as “Cold Response 22,” assigned to 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, II Marine Expeditionary Force, a report said.
In a letter to his Marines and their families Major General Michael Cederholm, the commanding general of 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, said: “The pilots and crew were committed to accomplishing their mission and serving a cause greater than themselves," CBS reported.
According to officials, the Osprey was on its way north to Bodoe, where it was scheduled to land just before 6 p.m. Friday. The aircraft crashed in Graetaedalen in Beiarn, south of Bodoe.
A search and rescue mission was launched immediately. On Saturday, police confirmed at the scene that all four Marines had died. Norway authorities led the recovery effort. The remains of the four service members are currently en route to the U.S., a report said.
“The deceased Marines were successfully removed from the crash site and are in the process of being returned to the U.S.,” according to a statement from II Marine Expeditionary Force, USNI News reported. “The deceased will be reunited with their families through dignified transfer in the coming days." According to authorities the annual NATO drill the crew was doing was unrelated to the war taking place in Ukraine.
This year’s NATO drills began on March 14 and end on April 1. They include around 30,000 troops, 220 aircraft, and 50 vessels from 27 countries, according to a previous CBS News reported.
