14 Marines casualties of mortar incident in NV
Lance Cooley and Jerry920 send us a link to an NBC story about an explosion in a Nevada training exercise in which initial reports are that seven Marines were killed and another seven injured;
There were conflicting reports about what happened. According to one account, a 60-millimeter mortar shell exploded in a tube as Marines were preparing to fire it. Another account said that the shell exploded as Marines were picking it up to load it.
[…]
Four Marines were killed instantly, military officials told NBC News. The two others died while waiting to be flown to the hospital.
A reminder that training for war is just as deadly as fighting the war.
Category: Military issues
Fuck
🙁 Fair winds, devil dogs.
Thoughts and prayers to the family and friends.
RIP, and may the injured recover fully!!Prayers out for them and their families.
I am trying to wrap my head around how it could have happened. As a former 11C in the Army I have handled and fired thousands of 60mm,81mm,and 4.2″ rounds. I have had a bad experience with proximity fuses, but thankfully those rounds went full the “safe distance” out of the tube before blowing up.
I will have a shot of Jameson in their honor tonight
Godspeed to these warriors and their families. This is a terrible tragedy.
May the injured recover fully and quickly. May the dead rest in peace, and may God comfort their surviving friends and family.
“A reminder that training for war is just as deadly as fighting the war.”
Indeed, this is a hell of a reminder….
May they rest in peace, and those who were injured return to health as quickly as possible.
I’m with rb325th. Before I transferred to a support battalion, my unit were snipers/scoots and mortars. I had to get real intimate with the equipment (I was the armorer). I am wondering how the hell this could have happened with all the fail-safes built into the rounds.
Regardless, I will say a prayer for the injured and the families.
I wonder if it was a short round and if it was why were they firing indirect over troops in training.
I will be praying for them and their families.
RIP…. Semper Fi, my brothers.
In our support role, we looked at a lot of mortars. From the 4.2 to the 60 mm. Borescope, wear-testing, molds. Seen more than a few loose end caps (condemn the tube) and eroded pins, to make me want to stay way the hell away from those things. Saw a mortar track melt down (got to be real careful where you toss the bags after you tear them off!)
Semper Fi.RIP.
Amen, Hondo.
Semper Fi, brothers.
1/9 Alpha. 81’s were firing over the heads of 60’s during live fire exercise and had a short round… All I am going to say. RIP Brothers.
@4 I earned an 11c in the CT ARNG and worked as FDC with the old plotting board in the late ’70s with an 81mm, and when I was on the firing line I experienced a hang fire at Fort Drum with an 81mm round. I dropped the round, it went “clunk” and nothing happened….we waited, and we waited and we cleared the range. We disassembled the tube from the stand and brought it to the dud pit, then called EOD they were able to safely take care of the round…that’s as close as I ever came to disaster and it was plenty close enough for me.
@14, if that is the case, I damned sure hope it was a bad round not human error.
That I am unsure of. It fucking sucks honestly.
Damnit. May the fallen Rest in Peace, and GOD be with their Families, the injured, and the survivors.
It sounds like a defective shell. Don’t these things get inspections? Damn.
May they rest quietly.
News reports still indicate that they not sure what happened and the Marines ceased all use of the 60s.
Had short rounds twice with the 4.2, worst sight in the world is a HE round only going twenty feet. The safeties worked both times, however it still sucked. Figured third strike I was going to be out and went over to aviation.
My prayers are with them.
[…] Apparently, a 60mm mortar round exploded during live fire training. No exact details on what happene…. […]
The contemptible Harry Reid just used the deaths of these Marines to condemn Sequestration. Attempting to link the incident to reduced military funding, Reid made sure no crisis goes unexploited. What a despicable thing for a supposed government leader to do, but then understandable coming from a liberal Dem.
As you can imagine,the Marine Corps is not happy with Reid. FOX News is reporting on Reid’s disgusting behavior even as I type this.
Here’s the link to the report on the Marine Corps protest regarding Reid’s charge:
http://newsbusters.org/blogs/mark-finkelstein/2013/03/19/miklaszewski-marine-official-accuses-harry-reid-sequester-politics
Latest report on Fox indicates the USMC says the round detonated in the tube. Very likely a defective round.
From the Fox article:
“The Corps said in a statement that it suspended all use of high-explosive and illumination mortar rounds that were in the same manufacturing lots as the ones that were fired in Nevada. Other 60mm mortar rounds were still allowed to be used
The Marines were also considering a stop-usage order affecting the mortar tubes like the ones in the accident.”
@22.
“These men and women, our Marines were training there in Hawthorne. And with this sequester, it’s going to cut back this stuff.” Harry Reid 19 March 2013
Living as close to Lejeune as I do I may have bumped into one of those Marines. RIP Marines.
I’ve fired 81 and 4 deuce mortars. We never had one explode in the tube or explode when dropping the round. We had many a misfire which scares the crap out of you.
as a former armorer, and as a few ppl have already noted, my money is on a failure of a dogged out mortar tube. I’ve heard plenty of stories of mortar tubes failing gauging and the Marines/soldiers told to keep on using them. went to school with a Marine that did two tours in A’stan and the things he told me about his units mortars being so worn out and inaccurate just made me shake my head.
How about all you Fucking skeptics/theorists keep you opinion to your self especially the dumb ass armorer. Lets remember that these dudes were serving their country and didnt do it for fame or fortune.
I don’t know how well you can read but nobody said anything bad about these guys other than that turd politician. In fact most of the posts are along the lines of RIP.
Marine Corps Times obviously doesn’t know the difference between ‘Dismissed’ and ‘Relieved’. The Bn CO, Co CO and Bn Weapons officer were relieved, no details as to why other than ‘lack of confidence.’
http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/article/20130508/NEWS/305080017/3-Marine-officers-dismissed-wake-deadly-mortar-accident-Hawthorne-Nev