Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni will conduct a single-pass, "Missing Man" formation flight as part of a private memorial service scheduled for the morning of Wednesday, Dec. 12, aboard MCAS Iwakuni.

A tradition adopted from the British in 1938, missing-man formation flights such as this, where one aircraft pitches skyward, opening up the "Missing Man" space in the formation and representing the fallen aviator's departure to the heavens, is also a symbol of the loss to family and fellow service members. We mournfully ask for the community's support and understanding at this difficult time.