Marines identify “dedicated leader” from Florida killed in crash off Japan

Military officials said a 28-year-old Florida man has died in a crash of two U.S. warplanes that collided off Japan’s coast. The U.S. Marine Corps said in a statement released Friday that Capt. Jahmar F. Resilard of Miramar, Florida, died in the Thursday crash. Another crew member was found and is in fair condition. Five others remain missing.

The Marine Corps released a photo of Resilard and said “the circumstances of the aircraft mishap are currently under investigation.”

Resilard was a F/A-18 pilot with the Marine All Weather Attack Squadron 242 and was stationed on Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni in Yamaguchi, Japan.

Lt. Col. James Compton called Resilard an “effective and dedicated leader who cared for his Marines and fellow pilots with passion.” His decorations include the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, Global War on Terrorism Medal and National Defense Service Medal.

The crash was the latest in recent series of accidents involving the U.S. military deployed to and near Japan.

Last month, a U.S. Navy F/A-18 Hornet from the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan crashed into the sea southwest of Japan’s southern island of Okinawa, though its two pilots were rescued safely. In mid-October, a MH-60 Seahawk also belonging to the Ronald Reagan crashed off the Philippine Sea shortly after takeoff, causing non-fatal injuries to a dozen sailors.