Body of sergeant killed when US Air Force Osprey crashed off the coast of Japan is returning home

2024-12-24 21:04:01 source: category:My

PITTSFIELD, Mass. (AP) — The remains of a U.S. Air Force staff sergeant from Massachusetts who was one of eight service members lost when a CV-22 Osprey crashed off the coast of Japan are being returned home.

The body of Jacob “Jake” Galliher, 24, was expected to arrive at the Westover Air Force Base in Chicopee on Friday afternoon for transport in a procession to a funeral home in his hometown, Pittsfield.

Members of the Pittsfield police and fire departments, the Berkshire County Sheriff’s Office, Massachusetts State Police and the Dalton American Legion Riders were to escort his body, officials said.

The Osprey went down Nov. 29 during a training mission just off Yakushima Island in southwestern Japan while on its way to Okinawa.

Other news Federal judge rejects request from Oregon senators who boycotted Legislature seeking to run in 2024 Minnesota edges close to picking new state flag to replace design offensive to Native Americans A review defends police action before the Maine mass shooting. Legal experts say questions persist

Galliher’s remains were the first to be found. Divers recovered the remains of the seventh of the eight crew members last Sunday.

Galliher’s family issued a statement on Dec. 2 saying it was in mourning and asking for privacy and prayers for his wife, two children and other family members.

“Jacob was an incredible son, brother, husband, father and friend to so many. His short life touched and made better the lives of hundreds, if not thousands in Pittsfield, in this region and everywhere he served,” the family said. “Jacob lived to serve his family, his country and the people he loved.”

A week after the crash, the U.S. military grounded all its Osprey V-22 aircraft after a preliminary investigation indicated something went wrong that was not human error.

The U.S.-made Osprey is a hybrid aircraft that takes off and lands like a helicopter but can rotate its propellers forward and cruise much faster, like an airplane, during flight.

The crash raised new questions about the safety of the aircraft, which has been involved in multiple fatal accidents over its relatively short time in service. Japan grounded its fleet of 14 Ospreys after the crash.

More:My

Recommend

My Chemical Romance returns with ‘The Black Parade’ tour

NEW YORK (AP) — Nearly two decades ago, My Chemical Romance released their career-defining rock oper

Klamath River flows free after the last dams come down, leaving land to tribes and salmon

PHOENIX — The last of the four dams that nearly destroyed salmon populations on the Klamath River at

US wheelchair rugby team gets redemption, earns spot in gold-medal game

PARIS − A determined United States wheelchair rugby team advanced to the gold-medal game at the 2024