Marines Identify Remains Recovered from KC-130J Salvage Operation - USNI News

The Marine Corps has identified the remains of three Marines recovered during a recent salvage operation to retrieve a KC-130J that crashed in December during a refueling mishap off of Japan.

Five Marines assigned to Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron (VMGR) 152 were onboard the aircraft when it crashed last year, and all were killed. The Marine Corps conducted a salvage effort that spanned May 27 to June 7, and during that effort the remains of three of the Marines were found.

After sending the remains to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, III Marine Expeditionary Force today announced that the remains belonged to Lt. Col. Kevin Herrmann, 38, of New Bern, N.C.; Maj. James Brophy, 36, of Staatsburg, N.Y.; and Staff Sgt. Maximo Flores, 27, of Surprise, Ariz.

“The remains of Herrmann, Brophy, and Flores will be released to their families in accordance with the families’ wishes,” according to the statement.