Four Marines killed at Camp Pendleton

[Sgt. Rock]

SAN DIEGO — Four Marines were killed Wednesday during an operation to clear a range of unexploded ordnance at Camp Pendleton in San Diego County, a Marine official said.

The deaths occurred during a periodic sweep of explosive material to make ranges safe for future exercises, said a Marine official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly.

There was no live firing on the range at the time, the official said.

My thoughts and prayers goes out to them and their family members.

 

[TScottW99]

RIP Marines. So sad........

 

[Mockstar]

That's sad and unfortunate. God bless those who serve, who have served, and those who have fallen.

 

[MrMarty51]

AMEN, I pray for peace and comfort to the families and friends of the fallen.

 

[STF]

GODSPEED gentlemen.

 

[kwo51]

Training with foreign troops.

 

[Arckadian]

We lose far too many people in "Training Accidents" and routine cleanup missions. This needs to end, and soon.

 

[kwo51]

Soon as we brought tanks into our training the death toll went up.

 

[Arckadian]

I can't really dispute that . . . My first week in Korea a soldier was killed in a roll over to a training exercise

 

[Sgt. Rock]

SAN DIEGO — The job is one of the most dangerous in the Marine Corps.

The four Marines killed Wednesday while clearing unexploded ordnance at California's Camp Pendleton were bomb removal technicians. It is one of the few positions in which the Marine Corps allows team members to quit at any time. That's because their mental focus could mean the difference between life or death, either for themselves or their fellow troops.

Few quit, despite the inherent risks that come with finding and getting rid of unexploded munitions — whether on the battlefield or on a U.S. base, according to former bomb technicians.

The four were killed around 11 a.m. during a routine sweep to make a range safer for future training exercises at Camp Pendleton in San Diego County, said a Marine official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly. There was no live firing on the range at the time.

Base officials said they would not release details until an investigation into the cause of the accident is concluded. They released the names of the dead Thursday night.

They were Staff Sgt. Mathew R. Marsh, 28, of Long Beach, Calif., Sgt. Miguel Ortiz, 27, of Vista, Calif., Gunnery Sgt. J. Mullins, 31, of Bayou L'Ourse, La., and Staff Sgt. Eric W. Summers, 32, of Poplar Bluff, Mo.

One Navy Hospital Corpsman and two Marines near the accident had minor injuries, officials said.

 

[kwo51]

Lost some good NCO's

 

[Concealed 27]

EOD specialists are a brave group of guys. My ranger buddy's father did it in Vietnam and works for a company now that goes into former war zones and search and destroy unexploded devices. He was an officer in the army and one of my heroes. At the age of 74 he oversees the planning and execution and travels all over the world to places you would not think of, Alaska for instance.......just thought I'd share a little about someone I look up to.....God Bless those who lost there lives in this tragic accident.
Concealed 27

 

[Sgt. Rock]

Update:

An explosion that killed four Marines at Camp Pendleton in California last year was probably caused when a grenade round was mishandled, the base said. Two Marines were relieved of duty after an investigation.

The base said that the exact cause would never be known because the only eyewitnesses were killed. The four Marines, aged 27 to 32, had all served tours in Iraq, Afghanistan or both. Three had at least a decade of service time.

They were killed during an exercise on ordnance disposal. The base said the grenade round was probably “dropped, kicked or bumped” in a demolition pit. Investigators believe it set off other explosives being gathered for disposal, NBC San Diego reported.

The two dismissed Marines, an officer and a staff non-commissioned officer, were relieved for a lack of confidence in their ability to conduct training and adhere to guidelines.

Brig. Gen. John Bullard, the base commander, ordered a review of training procedures. He said the Marine Corps was “deeply saddened” by the deaths.

“Their loss is felt throughout the Marine Corps,” he said. “We offer our heartfelt prayers and thoughts to the family members, and will continue to support them through this difficult time.”

 

[kwo51]

No combat pay for them. Training exercise . SUCKS

 

[cce1302]

Typical response from the Marines: We don't know exactly what happened, but four Marines died so we have to end the careers of two more. :thumbsdown: