The U.S. Marine Corps on Sunday released the names of the four Marines who were killed when their MV-22B Osprey aircraft crashed in northern Norway during a NATO drill on Friday.
The Corps identified the deceased as Capt. Matthew J. Tomkiewicz, 27, of Fort Wayne, Indiana; Capt. Ross A. Reynolds, 27, of Leominster, Massachusetts; Gunnery Sgt, James W. Speedy, 30, of Cambridge, Ohio; and Cpl. Jacob M. Moore, 24, of Catlettsburg, Kentucky.
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The fallen Marines were all members of the 2nd Marine Air Wing, II Marien Expeditionary Force and were assigned to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 261, based at Marine Corps Air Station New River, in North Carolina.
"The pilots and crew were committed to accomplishing their mission and serving a cause greater than themselves," said Maj. Gen. Michael Cederholm, commanding general of 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, in a letter to his Marines and their families.
Tomkiewicz, an MV-22B pilot, joined the Marine Corps on June 18, 2015. His military awards include the National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Medal, and Sea Service Deployment Ribbon.
Reynolds was also an MV-22B pilot who joined the Corps on May 13, 2017. His decorations include the National Defense Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, and several certificates and letters of appreciation.
Speedy joined the Marine Corps on June 15, 2009. The former drill instructor was an administrative specialist with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 261 at the time of the crash. His awards include the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal with two gold stars, the Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, the Marine Corps Drill Instructor Ribbon, and several certificates and letters of appreciation.
Moore served as an MV-22B Osprey crew chief and joined the Marines on Aug. 20, 2018. His military awards include the Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, and the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal.
The Marines were taking part in a NATO exercise known as Cold Response 2022 near Bode, Norway, when the MV-22B Osprey crashed on March 18. According to the Associated Press, the exercise is unrelated to the war in Ukraine and includes around 30,000 service members, 220 aircraft, and 50 vessels from 27 countries. The exercises began on March 14 and ends on April 1.
The remains of the fallen Marines have been removed from the crash site and are in the process of being returned to the U.S. The recovery effort was led by Norway with the Marine Corps assisting in the effort.
Reach Julia LeDoux at Julia@connectingvets.com.