Deadly training explosion was caused by human error, Marines say
The explosion that killed seven Marines during mortar training in March at the Hawthorne Army Depot in Nevada was caused by human error, the Marine Corps said Wednesday.
“The Marines employing one of the mortars did not follow correct procedures, resulting in the detonation of a high explosive round at the mortar position,” said a Marine Corps announcement about the results of an investigation.
Also, the Marines “had not conducted appropriate preparatory training leading up to the live-fire event,” according to the statement.
The seven enlisted Marines were killed March 18 when a 60-millimeter mortar exploded prematurely during a night time exercise. Several other personnel were injured.
The Marines, from the 1st Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment at Camp Lejeune, N.C., were training at Hawthorne after finishing training at the nearby Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center at Bridgeport, Calif.
Brig. Gen. James Lukeman, commander of the 2nd Marine Division, has relieved three officers as a result of the investigation. No criminal charges will be filed, the Marine Corps said.
Relieved were Lt. Col. Andrew McNulty, commander of the 1st Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment; Capt. Kelby Breivogel, commander of Alpha Company; and Chief Warrant Officer-3 Douglas Derring, the battalion’s infantry weapons officer.
The mortar round exploded in the firing tube. The 60-millimeter mortar is a weapon commonly used in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Lukeman relieved the three officers because he lost trust and confidence in their ability to ensure proper preparation for, and conduct of, live-fire training events, the Marine Corps said.
Use of the 60-millimeter mortar during training was curtailed in the days after the explosion but has since been resumed.
The Marine investigation “determined that the mortar system functioned properly at Hawthorne and found no reason to question the safety of the system when it is employed as designed and as Marines are trained to employ it,” according to the statement.
ALSO:
Police say two witnesses dispute Justin Bieber’s Ferrari story
Disneyland explosion: Police review video, Internet for clues
Santa Barbara County fire: Second day of high winds expected
tony.perry@latimes.com
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
