UPDATE: Kentucky Marine identified as 1 of 4 Marines killed in NATO exercise crash

McConnell honors Corporal Jacob Moore, from Catlettsburg

UPDATE (3/21/22) – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) honored the late Corporal Jacob Moore, of Catlettsburg, Monday on the Senate floor.

McConnell issued the following statement:

“Over the weekend, we learned that four U.S. Marines were tragically killed Friday night. Their training aircraft crashed during joint NATO exercises in Norway.

“One of those Marines, Corporal Jacob Moore, was born and raised in Catlettsburg, Kentucky. I want to take a moment to mourn this great loss and salute Corporal Moore’s service to our country.

“Corporal Moore joined the Marines in 2018. At only 24 years old, he had spent four years honorably serving our country around the world. He was serving as an MV-22B Osprey crew chief based out of New River, North Carolina.

“Corporal Moore was in Norway along with 30,000 other soldiers from 27 countries for NATO’s Cold Response exercises. Every two years, NATO servicemembers travel to the edge of the Arctic Circle to train in Northern Scandinavia’s frozen wilderness.

“This long-scheduled exercise is not directly related to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. But the events of recent weeks have only reminded us of the incredible importance of the NATO alliance to America’s security and to world peace. Corporal Moore’s service was hugely and directly important to our nation, to our allies, and to the world.

“We will never forget Corporal Moore’s service and sacrifice in defense of America’s safety and freedom. We are thinking of and praying for his family at this terribly difficult time.”

ORIGINAL POST

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Marine Corps has identified the four Marines who died when their Osprey aircraft crashed Friday night in a Norwegian town in the Arctic Circle during a NATO exercise.

The men, all assigned to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 261, Marine Aircraft Group 26, 2d Marine Aircraft Wing stationed on Marine Corps Air Station New River, North Carolina, were identified 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.

— Cpl. Jacob M. Moore, 24, of Catlettsburg, Kentucky.

In a statement issued Sunday night, a Marine Corps spokesman said the bodies were removed from the crash site and were in the process of being returned to the U.S.

The cause of the crash remained under investigation, but Norwegian police reported bad weather in the area.

Officials in Norway said the MV-22B Osprey crashed in Graetaedalen in Beiarn, south of Bodoe.