The three U.S. Marines who died when their helicopter crashed on an Australian island Sunday have been identified.
Corporal Spencer R. Collart, 21, Captain Eleanor V. LeBeau, 29, and Major Tobin J. Lewis, 37, were among 23 Marines on board the MV-22B Osprey when it crashed on Melville Island on Sunday at about 9:30 a.m. local time. In addition to the deceased, several others were critically injured in the fiery crash.
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Collart was an Osprey crew chief from Arlington, Virginia; LeBeau was an Osprey pilot from Belleville, Illinois; and Lewis, 37, was the executive officer of Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 363 (VMM-363), from Jefferson, Colorado, according to the Marine Corps.
The remaining 20 Marines onboard the Osprey were sent to Royal Darwin Hospital, with 17 of them treated for minor injuries and released. Three are still being treated, with one in critical condition and the other two stable.
The Marines were taking part in a joint training exercise with Australian, Japanese, and Philippine troops dubbed “Predators Run.”
“We are deeply saddened by the loss of three respected and beloved members of the MRF-D family,” said Col Brendan Sullivan, commanding officer of the group’s unit. “Our thoughts and prayers remain with the families and with all involved.”
“At present, we remain focused on required support to the ongoing recovery and investigative efforts.”
The Marine Corps said the cause of the crash remains under investigation.
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The Marine Corps has and will deploy about 2,000 Marines and sailors to Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia, for a period of six months, from April to October of this year, as part of Australia’s U.S. Force Posture Initiatives.
“While in Darwin, the unit supports a series of exercises and training events with the Australian Defence Force and other Allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific to maintain a forward-postured contingency response force, enhance interoperability between forces, and strengthen the Australia-U.S. Alliance and security partnership,” the Marine Corps said in a statement.
