Marine identified as victim of surveillance flight that crashed in Philippines
The Marine who died alongside three defense contractors last Thursday when their surveillance flight crashed in the Philippines has been identified as Sgt. Jacob M. Durham, according to officials.
Last week, a Department of Defense-contracted aircraft went down in the southern province of Maguindanao del Sur while "providing intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance support at the request of our Philippine allies," according to the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.
There were no survivors, officials said, who added that there were four personnel on the plane, including a U.S. military service member.
On Sunday, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command identified Durham as the Marine on the plane. The three contractors have not been identified.
The California native was trained as an electronic intelligence/electromagnetic warfare analyst and assigned to the 1st Radio Battalion, I Marine Expeditionary Force Information Group, I Marine Expeditionary Force.
In a press release, Indo-Pacific Command said Durham joined the Marine Corps in January 2021 and had just been promoted to his current rank on Feb. 1.
Durham earned numerous awards and decorations, including the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, a Meritorious Mast and Naval Aircrew Insignia.
"We mourn the loss of Sgt. Jacob Durham, who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country," said Lt. Col. Mabel B. Annunziata, commanding officer of 1st Radio Battalion. "Sgt. Durham embodied the highest traditions of the Marine Corps – exemplifying composure, intelligence, and selfless leadership. He was deeply respected and loved by his fellow Marines. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends, and his fellow Marines during this profoundly difficult time."
The aircraft involved in the crash was a Marine Corps Beechcraft King Air 350, a senior U.S. defense official told Fox News.
Military officials say the plane crashed during a routine mission in support of U.S.-Philippine security cooperation activities.
Officials added that the aircraft was providing surveillance, intelligence and reconnaissance support for the ally nation.
The cause of the crash is under investigation.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Council still reviewing bus scheme feedback
Feedback on plans for a bus lane is still being reviewed, three months after a consultation on the scheme closed. The proposals, for Sunderland's Chester Road, include creating a bus lane towards the roundabout at the junction with Springwell Road and Holborn Road, instead of previously mooted traffic lights. It is part of the regional Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP), funded by the government. A council leaflet detailing the scheme said works were expected to start in the summer and would take about a year. A public consultation on the proposals closed on 5 March and Sunderland City Council said feedback was being reviewed. It has not confirmed when the review will be complete. The proposals also include carriageway widening to allow bus priority and a free-flow bus lane through the A183 Greenwood Road roundabout changes to road markings at Hastings Hill Roundabout and the Grindon Lane junction introducing signals at existing roundabouts at Hastings Hill and Greenwood Road junctions The BSIP aims to improve bus journey times. Proposals have also been developed for the A690 Durham Road. Councillor Lindsey Leonard, cabinet member for environment, transport and net zero said: "The proposals for A183 Chester Road have been subject to consultation with residents and other stakeholders and we are currently reviewing the feedback. "Once this evaluation process is complete, we will update all interested parties with the outcome and next steps." Previous plans for traffic lights at the roundabout at Chester Road, Springwell Road and Holborn Road were not included in the final proposals after modelling showed introducing them would increase delays. The move was criticised by local residents and opposition councillors, who said a bus lane would make traffic worse. Follow BBC Sunderland on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram. Traffic light plan dropped over delay fears Residents say bus lane will make traffic worse Sunderland City Council
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Yahoo
Paddleboarders rescued along San Rafael River over the weekend
EMERY COUNTY, Utah () — Four paddleboarders were safely rescued after getting lost along the San Rafael River over the weekend. According to the Emery County Sheriff's Office, on June 7, dispatch received a call that four people who were paddleboarding down the San Rafael River had not yet returned home. The Emery County Sheriff Search and Rescue Team was paged and prepared to go to the area. While they were preparing to respond, a 911 text was received by dispatch from three of the paddleboarders. They said that they were together along the river, but had lost the fourth member of their group down the river. In response, dispatch requested that a Department of Public Safety helicopter come assist in the search. New Jersey couple rescued in Garfield County flash flood speaks out One sheriff's deputy, Deputy Michael VanWagoner, responded to the area near Swinging Bridge, where he found the missing paddleboarder. She had managed to get off the river near the campground, and campers were helping to care for her. The helicopter was cancelled. The other three members of the party were still lost on the river, and the search and rescue team arrived around midnight, walking along the river on foot until they located the lost paddleboarders. They guided them to the Swinging Bridge area, where they were reunited with their fourth member. The Emery County Sheriff's Office said everyone was 'safe and injury free.' They expressed that they are 'grateful for outcomes like this,' and it was a 'great learning experience for all involved.' They extended gratitude to the Department of Public Safety, recreation rangers and friends of the lost group who assisted in the search. Officials monitoring toxic algae blooms at Zion National Park Mark Green to resign from House after final vote on 'big, beautiful bill' Paddleboarders rescued along San Rafael River over the weekend RFK Jr. fires CDC's independent vaccine advisors Hundreds of Marines mobilizing to Los Angeles Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Yahoo
French Polynesia Creates World's Largest Marine Protected Area
Corals on the outer slop of the lagoon in Tatakoto, a remote atoll in French Polynesia. Credit - Alexis Rosenfeld—Getty Images French Polynesia announced the creation of the world's largest Marine Protected Area (MPA), at the U.N. Ocean Conference in France on Monday. The MPA will cover the entirety of the country's exclusive economic zone (EEZ), almost 5 million square kilometers (more than 1.9 million square miles) and will restrict extractive practices like deep-sea mining and bottom-trawling, a destructive type of fishing that drags large nets along the seafloor. Of that 5 million, 1.1 million square kilometers (424,712 square miles) will be designated as a highly or fully protected area, known as class 1 and 2, where only traditional coastal fishing, ecotourism, and scientific exploration, will be allowed. The government has also pledged to add an additional 500,000 square kilometers (193, 051 square miles) to the highly protected area by World Ocean Day 2026. 'We have been managing this EEZ wisely for centuries, using the techniques that were passed on from the generations before us and our ancestors,' French Polynesia's President, Moetai Brotherson, told TIME. 'But now we wanted to take a bold step to be in line with the international standards of the [International Union for Conservation of Nature] IUCN.' IUCN standards for MPAs require the area to include, among other things, defined goals and objectives for conservation along with ensuring the resources and capacity to effectively implement. Research has shown that MPAs help marine animals recover within their boundaries, and could prove a useful tool for supporting climate change adaptation and mitigation. Read more: Fishing Communities in the Philippines Are Fighting for their Future as Waters Rise French Polynesia has been steadfast in its efforts to conserve its exclusive economic zone. In 2018, the country announced that it would classify the entirety of its EEZ as a Managed Marine Area. This announcement, Brotherson says, builds on those efforts by increasing the level of conservation. 'There were some measures of protection that didn't match the [IUCN] standards,' Brotherson says. 'So we upgraded our local regulation to match all the standards of the IUCN.' 'This is an extraordinary achievement and a globally significant contribution to the protection of our One Ocean,' Grethel Aguilar, IUCN Director General, said in a statement. 'By prioritizing biodiversity, traditional knowledge, and future generations, French Polynesia has set a new standard for leadership in marine conservation. These commitments show that small Island territories can have a massive impact on global sustainability.' But much remains to be done. Research from Dynamic Planet and National Geographic Pristine Seas found that 85 new marine protected areas would need to be created from now until 2030 in order to meet the goal of protecting 30% of the oceans by 2030, as set by the High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People in 2020 and signed by over 100 countries. So far, only 8.3% of the ocean is currently protected as MPAs. Read more: One Man's Quest to Heal the Oceans—And Maybe Save the World Ahead of the U.N. Ocean Conference, Samoa also announced that it would protect 30% of its national waters, an area roughly the size of Taiwan. Small island nations, Brotherson says, should be on the frontlines when it comes to ocean protection. '[Island nations] EEZs account for 7% of all the ocean surface, but we have only 0.1% of the total GDP in the world,' he says. 'We don't have the financial means that match the responsibility that we have towards the ocean.' But Brotherson notes that international cooperation is essential to ensure protections are enacted. 'It's very important to us that big countries, big players, large NGOs, can help us implement the measures that we vote [on],' he says. 'Because it's one thing to pass a law. It's another story to make sure that it is respected.' Read more from TIME's Ocean Issue The World Isn't Valuing Oceans Properly 'Ignorance' Is the Most Pressing Issue Facing Ocean Conservation, Says Sylvia Earle Meet the Marine Biologist Working to Protect Our Oceans from Deep-Sea Mining Geopolitical Tensions are Shaping the Future of our Oceans Write to Simmone Shah at
