The U.S. Marine Corps has announced it recovered the remains of three Marines killed in an MV-22 Osprey crash earlier in August.
The remains of Cpl. Nathaniel F. Ordway and Lance Cpl. Ruben P. Velasco were brought to Hickam Air Force Base in Hawaii before they will be sent to their final destinations, which are determined by their families.
Capt. Benjamin R. Cross' remains were only recently recovered, and will be transferred "as expediently as possible" to Hickam.
"A solemn, dignified transfer of remains continues to be the priority as our fallen Marines are returned to their families," the Marine Corps said in a statement Friday.
Transfer ceremonies occur when the remains of fallen service members are brought back to the United States and are soon to be returned to family members.
The three Marines were killed in a crash off the coast of Australia during a training exercise on Aug. 5. Recovery efforts soon followed after the the Royal Australian Navy found the Osprey aircraft. Twenty-three troops on board the aircraft survived the crash.
The Marine Corps described the Osprey crash as "a mishap." The aircraft has been scrutinized over the years following multiple crashes. In 2016, five service members were injured when the aircraft crash-landed in shallow water off the coast of Okinawa. Following the most recent incident, Tokyo asked Washington to temporarily halt Osprey flights in Japan. A few days later, Japan approved Osprey flights once again, according to Japanese media reports.
Japan's Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera said in a statement that the U.S. military "is taking reasonable measures," and "the U.S. force’s explanation that it can conduct safe flights of MV-22 Ospreys is understandable."