PENLETON, Calif. (AP) – A US Marine in California is one of four people killed when a plane contracted by the US military crashed into a rice field in the southern Philippines, military officials Sunday was identified by.
Sergeant. Jacob M. Durham, 22, of Long Beach, died Thursday after crashing an aircraft that was carrying out a routine mission to “provide information, surveillance and reconnaissance assistance” at the request of its Philippine allies. I did. He said in a statement. Authorities said the cause of the crash was under investigation.
Military officials said three defense contractors were also killed in the crash.
Philippine civil aviation authorities have confirmed crashes of light planes in Maginda Nao del Sur province. The bodies of the four were recovered from the wreckage of the town of Ampatuan, said Amia Jaehad Tim Aborodoto, safety officer for Magindanao del Sur.
For decades, the US military has been deployed in the country’s southern Philippine military camps to provide training and advice to the Philippine military fighting Muslim extremists. The area is primarily home to minority Muslims from the Roman Catholic state.
State disaster mitigation officer Windy Beatty told the Associated Press on Thursday that he heard the explosion after seeing the plane smoke coming out of it. Cluster of farmers.
Durham was trained as an electronic information/electromagnetic warfare analyst assigned to the 1st Radio Battalion, the I Marine Expeditionary Force Information Group said. He joined the Marines in January 2021 and was promoted to his current rank on February 1st.
Durham’s awards include the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, the Marine Corps Good Deeds Medal, the Defence Force Medal, the Mast of Merit and Navy Crew insignia, officials said.
“Sergeant. Durham embodied the finest Marine traditions – exemplifying calm, intelligence and selfless leadership,” Lt. Colonel Mabel B. Anunziata, commander of the 1st Radio Battalion, said in a statement. I stated. fellow Marines. ”
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