The Air Force has confirmed that at least two are dead out of the six-member crew of the B-52H bomber that crashed Monday morning (about 9:45 a.m. local time) off the northwest coast of Guam. A joint search and rescue effort recovered the two bodies and was still ongoing for the remaining crew. According to a July 21 Air Force release, officials had determined the identity of one of the airmen recovered, but they were withholding that information pending notification of next of kin. The B-52 and its crew had deployed to Andersen Air Force Base from the 2nd Bomb Wing at Barksdale AFB, La. It arrived in June at Andersen as part of a regular, four-month rotation of bombers. The current nine B-52s relieved another group of Barksdale B-52s. Joining the Air Force in the search efforts are the Navy, Coast Guard, the Drug Enforcement Agency, and Guam Fire and Rescue and Police. The bomber was on a training mission that included participation in a flyover marking Guam’s Liberation Day. There were no weapons aboard.
Members of the House Armed Services Committee say the AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile program has been set back three months due to the ongoing government shutdown. The comment is noteworthy because the JATM's status has been kept tightly under wraps.
