MA Air Force Sergeant, 24, Killed In Crash Off Coast Of Japan

PITTSFIELD, MA — A Massachusetts man has been identified as a United States Air Force staff sergeant killed in an Osprey crash off the shore of Yakushima Island in Japan Wednesday.

The remains of Sergeant Jacob "Jake" M. Galliher, 24, originally from Pittsfield, were recovered in an extensive search and rescue operation, which is ongoing as the whereabouts of seven other Airmen onboard the aircraft are still unknown.

The cause of the crash, which occurred during a training mission, is under investigation.

Galliher enlisted in the United States Air Force in 2017 and was a direct support operator assigned to the 43rd Intelligence Squadron, officials said.

His family members issued a statement Saturday saying they were in mourning and asked for privacy and prayers for Galliher's 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."

The search and rescue operation is made up of a combination of air, surface, and subsurface area searches of the water and coastline, according to officials.

U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command said the aircraft, an CV-22B Osprey, was one of six deployed to Yokota Air Base, home to U.S. Forces Japan and the Fifth Air Force, and assigned to the 353rd Special Operations Wing.

The Osprey is a tilt-rotor aircraft that takes off and lands like a helicopter but can tilt its propellers horizontally to fly like an airplane while aloft. U.S. Osprey operations continued in Japan, but the remaining five Ospreys from the squadron involved in Wednesday’s crash weren't flying, officials said Friday.

"Our focus is to enable the ongoing, extensive 24/7 search and rescue operation while we care for the family and loved ones impacted by this mishap," Lieutenant General Tony Bauernfeind, an Air Force special operations commander, said in a news release Saturday. "As search and rescue operations continue, our joint force and Japanese allies stand united in our determination to bring our Air Commandos home."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.