The U.S. ambassador to Japan expressed regret on Saturday for the handling of two cases of sexual assaults allegedly committed by American military service members stationed in Okinawa.

The issue arose late last month, triggering an uproar over reports that two American service members had been charged with sexual assaults months earlier.

A marine from Arizona was onboard a military helicopter that crashed in the mountains outside of San Diego. On the afternoon of Feb. 8, we spoke with the wife of Alec Langen, who confirmed that her husband is one of the five victims in the crash. Langen and four other marines were on the CH-53E helicopter at the time of the crash, according to our earlier reports. The helicopter went missing late Tuesday night while returning to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego after training at Creech Air...

Five U.S. Marines aboard a helicopter that went down during stormy weather in the mountains outside of San Diego are confirmed dead, military said.

Authorities say the CH-53E Super Stallion vanished late Tuesday night while returning to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego after training at Creech Air Force Base, northwest of Las Vegas.

Military officials have found the debris of an F-35 military jet that went missing after the pilot ejected over South Carolina.

The wreckage of the $100m (£80m) plane - which disappeared on Sunday afternoon - was discovered in rural Williamsburg County, said authorities.

The pilot ejected from the cockpit and parachuted to safety in a North Charleston neighbourhood.

The public had been asked to help find the jet.

In a statement on Monday, military officials said the debris was found "two hours north-east of Joint Base Charleston".

The debris field found outside Charleston, South Carolina, on Monday is confirmed to be the remains of an F-35 that went missing on Sunday after a reported "mishap" or "malfunction" in which the jet's pilot ejected from the craft, according to a Marine Corps official.

The overall recovery process for the debris and the F-35B Lightning II has begun, the official told ABC News in a pair of statements.

The official would not specify what point in the recovery and investigation process the Marine Corps is in but said the process is ongoing.

The Marine Corps said late Monday that it had located the wreckage of an F-35B jet fighter that disappeared after its pilot ejected in South Carolina on Sunday.

Military and civilian agencies had been searching for the jet around two lakes near Charleston, but located a debris field in Williamsburg County, some two hours northeast of the city.

The Marine Corps was without a Senate-confirmed commandant for the first time in 164 years Monday as Sen. Tommy Tuberville continued his monthslong blockade on Pentagon appointments in protest of military abortion access policies.

Now-former Commandant Gen. David H. Berger held an unusual “relinquishment of command” ceremony at Marine Barracks Washington, ending his term as the corps’ top officer without formally handing the position over to a successor.

Typically, that happens with a “change of command” ceremony.

A major branch of the US military does not have a Senate confirmed leader for the first time in more than a century, as a result of a Republican senator refusing to lift his block on military nominations.

Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. David Berger relinquished command on Monday after holding a private retirement ceremony, after more than 40 years of service. His successor, Gen. Eric Smith, has not yet been confirmed to take over due to the hold on senior military nominations by Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville.

The blockade from Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) on about 250 of the Pentagon’s general and flag officers has left the Marine Corps without a confirmed leader for the first time in 164 years.

Marine Corps Commandant Gen. David Berger officially retired on Monday, leaving Assistant Commandant Gen. Eric Smith as the acting commandant and leader of the military branch until he is confirmed in the Senate.