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F-15E Strike Eagles from the 494th Fighter Squadron conduct a missing man formation on Thursday, June 19, 2020, in honor of 1st Lt. Kenneth "Kage" Allen, who died four days earlier when his F-15C fighter jet crashed in the North Sea.

F-15E Strike Eagles from the 494th Fighter Squadron conduct a missing man formation on Thursday, June 19, 2020, in honor of 1st Lt. Kenneth "Kage" Allen, who died four days earlier when his F-15C fighter jet crashed in the North Sea. (U.S. Air Force)

F-15E Strike Eagles from the 494th Fighter Squadron conduct a missing man formation on Thursday, June 19, 2020, in honor of 1st Lt. Kenneth "Kage" Allen, who died four days earlier when his F-15C fighter jet crashed in the North Sea.

F-15E Strike Eagles from the 494th Fighter Squadron conduct a missing man formation on Thursday, June 19, 2020, in honor of 1st Lt. Kenneth "Kage" Allen, who died four days earlier when his F-15C fighter jet crashed in the North Sea. (U.S. Air Force)

The 561st Aircraft Maintenance Squadron and the 558th AMXS paint team, at Robins Air Force Base, Ga, collaborated June 17, 2020, to stencil the name of 48th Fighter Wing pilot 1st Lt. Kenneth ''Kage'' Allen on one of three F-15 aircraft that just completed its programmed depot maintenance and is slated to return to RAF Lakenheath, England. Allen was piloting an F-15C Eagle during a training mission when his plane crashed into the North Sea June 15.

The 561st Aircraft Maintenance Squadron and the 558th AMXS paint team, at Robins Air Force Base, Ga, collaborated June 17, 2020, to stencil the name of 48th Fighter Wing pilot 1st Lt. Kenneth ''Kage'' Allen on one of three F-15 aircraft that just completed its programmed depot maintenance and is slated to return to RAF Lakenheath, England. Allen was piloting an F-15C Eagle during a training mission when his plane crashed into the North Sea June 15. (Courtesy photo)

The 561st Aircraft Maintenance Squadron and the 558th AMXS paint team, both at Robins Air Force Base, Ga., stenciled the name of 48th Fighter Wing pilot 1st Lt. Kenneth ''Kage'' Allen on an F-15 that had just completed  depot maintenance before returning to RAF Lakenheath, England. Allen died when his F-15C Eagle crashed into the North Sea off the coast of northern England on Monday, June 15, 2020.

The 561st Aircraft Maintenance Squadron and the 558th AMXS paint team, both at Robins Air Force Base, Ga., stenciled the name of 48th Fighter Wing pilot 1st Lt. Kenneth ''Kage'' Allen on an F-15 that had just completed depot maintenance before returning to RAF Lakenheath, England. Allen died when his F-15C Eagle crashed into the North Sea off the coast of northern England on Monday, June 15, 2020. (Courtesy photo)

A pilot assigned to the 493rd Fighter Squadron prepares to depart for depot maintenance at Robins Air Force Base, Ga., from RAF Lakenheath, England, June 19, 2020. The name of 1st Lt. Kenneth "Kage" Allen, who died when his F-15C crashed in the North Sea during routine training on Monday, June 15, is painted on the jet.

A pilot assigned to the 493rd Fighter Squadron prepares to depart for depot maintenance at Robins Air Force Base, Ga., from RAF Lakenheath, England, June 19, 2020. The name of 1st Lt. Kenneth "Kage" Allen, who died when his F-15C crashed in the North Sea during routine training on Monday, June 15, is painted on the jet. (Christopher S. Sparks/U.S. Air Force)

1st Lt. Kenneth ''Kage'' Allen was killed Monday, June 15, 2020, when his F-15C crashed in the North Sea during routine training.

1st Lt. Kenneth ''Kage'' Allen was killed Monday, June 15, 2020, when his F-15C crashed in the North Sea during routine training. (U.S. Air Force)

Air Force maintainers on both sides of the Atlantic have honored the memory of 1st Lt. Kenneth “Kage” Allen, who died this week when his F-15C crashed in the North Sea, by temporarily stenciling his name on two fighter jets.

Maintainers with the 48th Fighter Wing at RAF Lakenheath added Allen’s name to the wing’s flagship F-15C Eagle, which is the same model that Allen flew for the 493rd Fighter Squadron, Air Force officials at Lakenheath said.

The jet departed Lakenheath for depot maintenance Friday, “signifying Lt. Allen’s final departure from the Liberty Wing,” said wing spokeswoman Maj. Sybil Taunton.

At Robins Air Force Base, Ga., another team of maintainers also paid tribute to Allen by adding his name to an F-15 Strike Eagle assigned to the 48th Fighter Wing that had just completed maintenance, the Air Force said.

“It was a lovely gesture. We weren’t expecting it,” Taunton said.

The jet is scheduled to return to Lakenheath next week.

Because Air Force regulations stipulate that the name of the lead pilot assigned to a plane must feature on operational aircraft, the lettering will eventually be removed, Taunton said.

Allen’s jet crashed off the coast of northern England on Monday during a routine training mission. The cause of the crash is under investigation, the Air Force said.

The 494th Fighter Squadron conducted a flyover that included a “missing man” for-mation Thursday, the same day Allen’s body was returned to his family in the U.S., Taunton said. During the flight, the “missing man” jet climbs away from the for-mation, “leaving a gap that signifies his absence from the 48th Fighter Wing and the hole in our hearts from his untimely depar-ture,” Taunton said.

Others who wish to pay tribute to Allen can tie a yellow ribbon on a sign featuring the 493rd Fighter Squadron patch that has been placed inside the fence by one of the gates at Lakenheath, Taunton said.

Yellow is one of the colors of the squadron, nicknamed “The Grim Reapers.” People on base and in the local community have been wearing gold and yellow to show support for the squadron as it mourns the loss of Allen, Taunton said.

“The support for Lt. Allen, the 493rd Fighter Squadron, and the family has been clearly felt, not only on both sides of the Atlantic, but from around the world and the Liberty Wing is very thankful for this,” 48th Fighter Wing commander Col. Will Marshall said in a statement.

Allen, who was 27, is survived by his wife, Hannah, and his parents.

A Gofundme page set up by the family to help with travel and funeral expenses has raised $39,600 out of a $50,000 goal.

svan.jennifer@stripes.com Twitter: @stripesktown

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Jennifer reports on the U.S. military from Kaiserslautern, Germany, where she writes about the Air Force, Army and DODEA schools. She’s had previous assignments for Stars and Stripes in Japan, reporting from Yokota and Misawa air bases. Before Stripes, she worked for daily newspapers in Wyoming and Colorado. She’s a graduate of the College of William and Mary in Virginia.

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