Court-Martial Is Sought for 1 of 6 in Recruit’s Death

An admiral has recommended that one of six Navy men charged in the training death of a recruit be court-martialed, but that the others receive non-judicial punishment, a Navy official said Friday.

Five instructors were accused of involuntary manslaughter and conspiracy to commit battery in the March 2 death of Airman Recruit Lee Mirecki, 19, of Appleton, Wis. The officer in charge was also accused of dereliction of duty.

Testimony in a five-day hearing earlier this month showed that Mirecki panicked, suffered a heart attack and drowned when he was forced into the water at the Rescue Swimmer School at Pensacola Naval Air Station.

Mirecki died during an exercise called “sharks and daisies,” in which instructors play the role of swimmers in distress and grab the students to see if they have mastered escape maneuvers.

Cmdr. Dennis Hessler, the Navy spokesman, said that Rear Adm. David Morris recommended that only the charges against Petty Officer Michael W. Combe be referred to general court-martial. Combe was the only one of those charged who was in the water when Mirecki drowned.

“In the remaining five cases, chief of naval air training determined that charges could appropriately be resolved in a non-judicial hearing,” Hessler said.

Non-judicial penalties could include reduction in rank, a cut in pay or pay grade, confinement to base, extra duties or any combination of those punishments.

The recommendations from Morris have been submitted to Adm. Ron Thunman, chief of naval education and training at Pensacola, who will have the final word.