It’s been more than a week since an Air Force Special Operations Command CV-22 Osprey crashed off Yakushima Island in Japan on Nov. 29. After identifying the remaining seven members of the crew of the Osprey, AFSOC is now sharing more about the lives of the airmen onboard.
The tiltrotor craft went down off the coast of southwestern Japan, flying toward Okinawa. The remains of seven of the eight crew members have been recovered so far. Crews are still looking for the eighth, although who on the Osprey hasn’t been found has not been released. The remaining airman is presumed dead.
The crew of the Osprey — given the call sign “GUNDAM 22” — was larger than the usual CV-22 loadout. Generally an Osprey has two pilots and two flight engineers, but can carry more depending on the mission.
The airmen lost on the GUNDAM 22 mission were:
Maj. Jeffrey “Jeff” T. Hoernemann, 32: Hoernemann had been on active duty since 2015. A resident of Andover, Minnesota, he was assigned to the 21st Special Operations Squadron, 353rd Special Operations Wing as both a CV-22 instructor pilot and the Chief of Weapons and Tactics. Before Japan he had served with the 1st Special Operations Wing. Air Force Lt. Col. Tyler Oldham, the commander of the 21st Special Operations Squadron, called Hoernemann “an outstanding pilot and instructor.” He deployed multiple times to Afghanistan during Operation Freedom’s Sentinel, and earned a number of awards including the Air and Space Achievement Medal, Air Medal with “C” Device and Aerial Achievement Medal.
Maj. Luke A. Unrath, 34: A resident of Riverside, Calif., he entered the service in 2014, initially working as an engineer. He became a pilot in 2019 and was assigned to fly AFSOC Ospreys. Since 2022, he served with the 21st Special Operations Squadron based out of Yokota Air Base in Japan. According to AFSOC, he was involved in the planning and carrying out of more than 20 operations in the Indo-Pacific theater. He was the recipient of the Air and Space Commendation Medal, Air and Space Achievement Medal and other awards.
Maj. Eric “Doc” V. Spendlove, 36: “Doc” was the Special Operations Flight Surgeon and Medical Operations Flight Commander for the 1st Special Operations Squadron, 3534d Special Operations Wing. He had earned a doctorate of osteopathic medicine from Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine in 2016, entering active-duty service a year later. Ahead of his residency in family medicine, Spendlove worked as a flight surgeon with the 92d Operations Group. According to AFSOC, his time as medical operations flight commander saw Spendlove and his team drastically improve medical readiness at a squadron and wing level, by 94% and 25% respectively. He also oversaw medical work during a large multinational exercise over the Korean Peninsula. He also deployed in AFSOC missions to Australia, the Philippines and other nations.
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Capt. Terrell “Terry” K. Brayman, 32: A resident of Pittsford, NY, Brayman was a CV-22 Aircraft Commander with the 21st Special Operations Squadron. He’d been with the Air Force since 2014, after graduating from Ohio State University with a degree in astronautical engineering. After service as a U-28A Draco pilot with the 34th Special Operations Squadron, he moved to lying Ospreys. He also participated in Operation Inherent Resolve, and while with the 21st Special Operations Squadron he worked with a joint task force for special operations in the Pacific. Oldham called Brayman a “skilled aviator, mission commander and proven leader of teams.”
Tech Sgt. Zachary E. Lavoy, 33: Lavoy was a Medical Operations Flight Chief with the 1st Special Operations Squadron at Kadena air Base. The Florida resident had been on active duty for a decade, serving with the 26th Special Tactics Squadron, 24th Special Operations Wing before Japan. He deployed to Qatar in 2016 in support of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. In his position as a medic, Lavoy worked on planning for emergency responses and evacuation procedures for different commands. Lt. Col. Christopher Pellegrino, commander for the 1st Special Operations Squadron, described him as a “compassionate medic with a steadfast devotion to supporting the needs of those around him,” and mentioned his love for his “dog, truck and friends.”
Staff Sgt. Jake M Turnage, 25: Turnage held a variety of duties with the 21st Special Operations Wing, being both the Lead Flight Engineer and the Noncommissioned Officer in Charge of Training. The Kennesaw, George native earned a degree in aviation operations at the Community College of the Air Force in 2018 and then was selected to serve with AFSOC on Ospreys. Before going to Yokota Air Base, he was with the 8th Special Operations Squadron based in Florida, and deployed as part of U.S. operations around Afghanistan. Turnage was a Special Missions Aviator, handling flight planning, loadouts and also served as a gunner when in the skies. As part of his wider duties, he oversaw various training requirements for the squadron, from combat arms to SERE (survival, evasion, resistance and escape) preparation.
Senior Airman Brian “Kody” Johnson, 32: A special missions aviator and a unit deployment manager, Johnson was assigned to the 21st Special Operations Squadron out of Yokota Air Base at the time of the GUNDAM 22 crash. An Ohio native, he had been active duty since 2018. He completed his qualification for the CV-22 in 2020, becoming an operational special mission aviator with the 20th Special Operations Squadron in New Mexico. He was then assigned to Yokota in 2022, serving as a unit deployment manager for the 21st Special Operations Squadron.
Staff Sgt. Jacob “Jake” M. Galliher, 24: Galliher was an airborne linguist, with a focus on Mandarin Chinese. He was serving as a direct support operator with the 43rd Intelligence Squadron, Detachment 1, based out of Yokota Air Base. The unit works with the 353rd Special Operations Wing. Galliher had served since 2017, working with the 25th Intelligence Squadron before being assigned to Japan. Galliher was also the first GUNDAM 22 crew member to be identified, with his family and the Congressman representing his hometown of Pittsfield, MA, confirming his death.
In the aftermath of the GUNDAM 22 crash, both AFSOC and the U.S. Marine Corps have grounded their fleets of Ospreys. The AFSOC crash last month was the third fatal Osprey crash in the past year; the other two involved Marine Corps MV-22s. According to AFSOC, the crash was likely caused by a mechanical failure with the aircraft, but the exact cause has not been determined. Japan also grounded its 14 Ospreys following the crash.
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