An MV-22B Osprey aircraft with five U.S. Marines on board crashed in California on Wednesday, according to reports.
“An aircraft belonging to [the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing] has crashed near Glamis, CA,” the U.S. Marine Corps tweeted. “Contrary to social media rumors, there was no nuclear material on board the aircraft.”
“Update from [the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing]: At approximately 1225 PST, an MV-22B Osprey crashed near Glamis, CA. We are awaiting confirmation of the status of the five Marines who were onboard the aircraft, which was stationed at MCAS Camp Pendleton with Marine Aircraft Group 39,” the military noted in a Twitter thread. “We ask for the public’s patience as we work diligently with first responders and the unit involved to identify what occurred this afternoon.”
Update from @3rdmaw:
At approximately 1225 PST, an MV-22B Osprey crashed near Glamis, CA.
We are awaiting confirmation of the status of the five Marines who were onboard the aircraft, which was stationed at MCAS Camp Pendleton with Marine Aircraft Group 39. (1/2)
— U.S. Marines (@USMC) June 9, 2022
The Osprey is the primary assault support aircraft for the U.S. Marine Corps.
“The MV-22B Osprey is a tiltrotor V/STOL aircraft designed as the medium-lift replacement for the CH-46E Sea Knight assault support helicopter. The Osprey can operate as a helicopter or a turboprop aircraft and offers twice the speed, six times the range, and three times the payload of the CH-46E,” according to a description of the aircraft. “The MV-22 Osprey’s mission for the U.S. Marine Corps is the transportation of troops, equipment, and supplies from ships and land bases for combat assault and assault support.”
Earlier this year, another Osprey crashed during NATO training exercises in Norway, which left four Marines dead.
In the spirit of Pride Month, the U.S. Marine Corps tweeted a graphic that included bullets featuring brightly-colored tips in support of the LGBTQIA+ community.
“Throughout June, the USMC takes #Pride in recognizing and honoring the contributions of our LGBTQ service members. We remain committed to fostering an environment free from discrimination, and defend the values of treating all equally, with dignity and respect. #PrideMonth #USMC,” captioned the photo.
Surprisingly, the tweet received substantial support from many users, with one user saying: “As a former Recon marine with multiple combat action ribbons and multiple Purple Hearts, I applaud your attention to diversity.”
While another one went against the critics and ranted: “If you served then you served with someone in the LGBTQ community. Quit acting like “that’s not my corps” bulls—. They have been serving our country since the inception.”
