The Navy has identified the three sailors who were lost at sea after a plane with 11 on board crashed in the ocean off Japan.
The U. S. Navy has identified the three missing sailors unaccounted for after a plane crash in the Philippine Sea, the 7th Fleet said in a statement Saturday.
Lt. Steven Combs, Airman Matthew Chialastri and Airman Apprentice Bryan Grosso have been named as the sailors lost in the C-2A Greyhound crash on Wednesday. Their families have been notified, the Navy said.
«Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of these Sailors,» said Vice Adm. Phil Sawyer, commander of the U. S.’s 7th Fleet, which is based in Japan. «Their service and sacrifice will be lasting in Seventh Fleet and we will continue to stand the watch for them, as they did bravely for all of us.»
Combs, originally from Florida, was part of the Carrier Air Wing Five, which is attached to the USS Ronald Reagan, the aircraft carrier where the plane was headed at the time of the crash. His awards include the National Defense Ribbon and the Navy Battle E Ribbon.
Grosso, also from Florida, and Chialastri, from Louisiana, were assigned to the USS Ronald Reagan and had also been awarded the National Defense Ribbon.
The search and rescue efforts for the sailors was suspended at 10 a.
