SAN DIEGO (NEWSnet/AP) — The U.S. military has identified the Marine Corps pilot who was killed Aug. 24 when a combat jet crashed near a San Diego base during a training flight.

Maj. Andrew Mettler was piloting an F/A-18D Hornet when it went down near Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing said from its headquarters in Cherry Point, North Carolina.

Searchers recovered Mettler's body at the site. The crash remains under investigation.

Mettler was a native of Georgia and stationed at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort in South Carolina. He was commissioned in 2007 and was a leader in his squadron,”Fighting Bengals,” at the time of his death.

Mettler’s career awards include the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and the Korea Defense Service Medal.

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