Massachusetts Man Dies In NATO Exercise That Killed 4 Marines

LEOMINSTER, MA — One of the four U.S. Marines killed in a crash during a training flight in Norway over the weekend was from Massachusetts, the U.S. Marine Corps revealed Sunday.

Capt. Ross Reynolds, 27, of Leominster, was among three others who were killed during a NATO exercise called Cold Response 2022 on Friday.

Reynolds was an MV-22B Osprey pilot with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 261 after first joining the Marine Corps on May 13, 2017. The Marine Corps says he earned decorations including the National Defense Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and the Sea Service Deployment Ribbon.

The three men also assigned to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 261, were identified as Capt. Matthew Tomkiewicz, of Indiana, another pilot; Gunnery Sgt. James Speedy, of Ohio; and Cpl. Jacob Moore, of Kentucky.

Reynold's family released a statement Sunday saying they were "broken-hearted" when they heard the news of their son.

"Our hearts go out to their families and their loved ones. We share their grief and will keep them in our thoughts and prayers. As well as the rest of his squadron, that now has to fill a large void in their lives. And we pray for our daughter-in-law Lana. She was the light of his life. They had so many plans. So much ahead of them. We are in shock, trying to come to terms with our loss. We ask that you respect our privacy, as we console and comfort each other during this difficult time," Reynold's family said in a statement.

According to his LinkedIn page, Reynolds was a Leominster High School and Worcester State University graduate, with honors from both schools.

Their MV-22B Osprey was supposed to land just before 6 p.m. in Bodoe, a coastal municipality in Norway Friday, but after it didn't, police say they launched a search and rescue mission immediately.

At 1:30 a.m. Saturday, the police found the aircraft had crashed in Graetaedalen, Beiarn, south of Bodoe.While the cause of the crash remains under investigation, Norwegian police reported bad weather in the area during the time of the exercise.

According to the Marine Corps, the Cold Response drill includes around 30,000 troops from 27 countries, including non-NATO countries Finland and Sweeden. The exercises started March 14 and were planning to end by April 1.

The first Cold Response exercise was held in 2006, and the drills are conducted every two years. They take place in southeastern, central, and northern Norway, the Marine Corps said.

A Marine Corps spokesperson said the bodies were removed from the crash site and were being returned to the states.