Four Marines Killed In Accident At California Base (Pendleton)

[Purveyor]

Source: NBC NEWS

Four U.S. Marines were killed Wednesday when unexploded ordnance blew up after a training accident at Camp Pendleton, Calif., military officials said.

The deadly accident occurred during a "range maintenance operation," the Marine Corps said in a statement. It gave no details and said none of the victims would be identified pending notification of their families.

A U.S. military official told NBC News that the Marines had just finished taking part in exercises about 11 a.m. (2 p.m. ET) when unexploded ordnance detonated.

"We offer our heartfelt prayers and condolences to the families of the Marines lost today in this tragic accident," the Marine Corps statement said.

Read more: http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/11/13/21442629-four-marines-killed-in-accident-at-california-base?lite

[Trillo]

1. You probably don't think you're gonna get killed

unless you're in a war zone.

RIP.

[MissDeeds]

2. Awful news

Peace and healing to their families and friends.

RIP

[rocktivity]

3. Metallica wrote this song about a friend in a military family

who joined the military against his wishes (his father had served...whose father had served...whose father had served...) and died and a basic training accident:

rocktivity

[nomorenomore08]

6. Holy shit... I've heard that song a million times but I never knew the story behind it.

and then some...

[go west young man]

4. Was it an accident

or was someone responsible and failed at their job? There is a difference. Ordinance doesn't usually just explode unless someone dropped the ball along the line.

[rocktivity]

5. DING DING DING! Go West Young Man, you're our grand prize winner!

Was it an accident, or was someone responsible and failed at their job? There is a difference...

A U.S. military official told NBC News that the Marines had just finished taking part in exercises...when unexploded ordnance detonated. A spokesman for the base told NBC San Diego that while the incident happened in an area where Marines fire artillery and drop bombs from aircraft, there was no firing going in that area at the time.

I'm sure it was an accident in the sense that no one was supposed to be killed -- certainly not during a training exercise. But since it WAS a training exercise, I don't think it's unreasonable to wonder why the soldiers were within lethal range of that ordinance -- and why it detonated when it WASN'T supposed to.


rocktivity