Jill and I were heartbroken to learn of the loss of eight American service members when their aircraft crashed off the coast of Japan last week during a routine training mission. Since then, we were focused on search and rescue, which ended today after an extensive week-long effort.  Our service members and their families are the backbone of our nation. We owe them everything. Jill and I are praying for the families and friends who lost a loved one in this terrible accident. We are also grateful to the Government of Japan for assisting in the search and rescue and ongoing recovery efforts. Our entire nation mourns this tragic loss.

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