UPDATE: MARINE ROTATIONAL FORCE - DARWIN MV-22B OSPREY TILTROTOR AIRCRAFT CRASH
28 Aug 2023

Marine Rotational Force - Darwin can confirm the names of those killed in the U.S. Marine Corps MV-22B Osprey crash on Melville Island, north of Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia, on 27 August 2023 at approximately 9:30 a.m. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.

Deceased are:

U.S. Marine Corps Corporal Spencer R. Collart, male, 21, MV-22B Osprey crew chief for VMM-363 (REIN), Marine Rotational Force – Darwin, originally from Arlington, VA

U.S. Marine Corps Captain Eleanor V. LeBeau, female, 29, MV-22B Osprey pilot for VMM-363 (REIN), Marine Rotational Force – Darwin, originally from Belleville, IL

U.S. Marine Corps Major Tobin J. Lewis, male, 37, the executive officer of VMM-363 (REIN), Marine Rotational Force – Darwin, originally from Jefferson, CO

Injured:

• Three Marines remain in Royal Darwin Hospital, with one in critical condition and two in stable condition. 17 others were taken to Royal Darwin Hospital, treated for minor injuries, and released.

Additional information on the deceased:

Spencer Collart enlisted in the Marine Corps on October 26, 2020, and was promoted to the rank of Corporal on February 1, 2023. He served in Pensacola, FL, and Jacksonville, NC, before arriving at Marine Corps Base Hawaii in Kaneohe Bay, HI. Cpl Collart, an MV-22B crew chief, received the National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and Sea Service Deployment Ribbon.

Eleanor LeBeau was commissioned in the Marine Corps on August 11, 2018, and was promoted to the rank of Captain on March 1, 2023. She served in Pensacola, FL, Corpus Christi, TX, and Jacksonville, NC, before arriving at Marine Corps Base Hawaii in Kaneohe Bay, HI. Capt LeBeau, an MV-22B pilot, received the National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and Sea Service Deployment Ribbon.

Tobin Lewis commissioned in the Marine Corps on August 22, 2008, and was promoted to the rank of Major on October 1, 2018. He has served in Pensacola, FL, Corpus Christi, TX, Jacksonville, NC, and Okinawa, Japan, before arriving at Marine Corps Base Hawaii in Kaneohe Bay, HI. Maj Lewis, an MV-22B pilot, received two Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals, the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, Navy Unit Commendation, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and four Sea Service Deployment Ribbons.

“We are deeply saddened by the loss of three respected and beloved members of the MRF-D family,” said Col Brendan Sullivan, commanding officer of MRF-D. “Our thoughts and prayers remain with the families and with all involved."

“At present, we remain focused on required support to the ongoing recovery and investigative efforts."

“We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the Australian Defence Force, Northern Territory Police, Northern Territory Government, CareFlight Air and Mobile Services, NT Health, National Critical Care and Trauma Response Center, and Tiwi Island Government, who have come together to assist us in this difficult time.”

This year marks the 12th iteration of Marine Rotational Force – Darwin, which began in 2012 and is part of Australia’s U.S. Force Posture Initiatives. The MRF-D Marine Air-Ground Task Force is comprised of approximately 2,000 Marines and Sailors which are deployed to Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia, for a period of six months, from April to October 2023. While in Darwin, the unit supports a series of exercises and training events with the Australian Defence Force and other Allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific to maintain a forward-postured contingency response force, enhance interoperability between forces, and strengthen the Australia-U.S. Alliance and security partnership.

This year’s MRF-D MAGTF is comprised of the following units:

• Command Element: 1st Marine Regimental Headquarters, from Camp Pendleton, CA.

• Ground Combat Element: 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment (Reinforced), from Camp Pendleton, CA.

• Logistics Combat Element: Combat Logistics Battalion 1 (Reinforced), from Camp Pendleton, CA.

• Aviation Combat Element: Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 363 (Reinforced), from Kaneohe Bay, HI

The Marines involved in the MV-22B Osprey crash that took place on 27 August 2023 were from Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 363 (Reinforced) and 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment (Reinforced).

For questions regarding this release, please contact the Marine Rotational Force – Darwin Public Affairs Officer email address at ramarro.lamar@usmc.mil.

For imagery of MRF-D, please visit https://www.dvidshub.net/unit/MRF-D

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Marine Rotational Force - Darwin