The Armed Forces Medical Examiner’s Office has confirmed identification of remains found off the California coast as those of Air Force Reservist SSgt. Jonathan R. Leonard, who was on the HC-130 aircraft that crashed into the Pacific Nov. 22, 1996. Flying under call sign King 56, the aircraft from the 939th Rescue Wing, Portland, Ore., lost power successively to each of its four engines. Only one of the 11 Reservists on board survived the crash. An AFRC news release reports that a fishing boat crew discovered Leonard’s remains, including a partial nametag, in September.
The Space Force’s work to establish a pool of at-the-ready commercial satellite capacity during a crisis is moving out of the pilot phase as the service prepares to award its next batch of contracts in 2026.
