Panel Hears Dueling Versions Of Marine Tank’s Fatal Sinking That Killed Stockton Sailor, 8 Marines

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CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. (AP/CBS13) — A Marine Corps serviceman takes work for the sinking of an amphibious battle conveyance disconnected the Southern California seashore that killed 9 work members, including a sailor from Stockton, nether his command, but helium doesn’t merit to beryllium discharged for immoderate missteps, his lawyer told a subject sheet Tuesday.

A Marine Corps lawyer countered that Lt. Col. Michael J. Regner’s missteps were egregious capable to warrant ending his subject work six months abbreviated of reaching his 20-year people that would entitle him to afloat status benefits.

Regner, who spoke to Marine Corps investigators, is expected to code the three-officer sheet during a Board of Inquiry proceeding that began Tuesday and is expected to past up to 4 days.

“He’s ne'er shirked his responsibilities, helium owned the information that helium was the commandant astatine the time, helium knows that helium is liable for the deficiencies that took place,” said Maj. Cory Carver, Regner’s attorney. Carver added that portion the subordinate stops with his client, his actions don’t warrant discharge.

A Marine Corps probe recovered that inadequate training, shabby attraction and mediocre judgement by leaders led to the July 30, 2020, sinking of a seafaring vessel successful 1 of the deadliest Marine grooming accidents successful decades.

The amphibious battle conveyance had 16 radical aboard erstwhile it sank rapidly successful 385 feet (117 meters) of h2o disconnected the seashore of San Clemente Island. Seven Marines were rescued arsenic the vas was returning to a Navy vessel connected a grooming exercise.

Chris “Bobby” Gnem (credit: Instagram)

Among the dormant was Navy sailor Chris “Bobby” Gnem. He was a postgraduate of Lincoln High School, and astatine the clip of this deadly exercise, helium was engaged to beryllium married.

Regner was relieved of bid of the landing squad of the 1st Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, soon aft the sinking. A Marine Corps connection astatine the clip said his removal was based connected a “substantial magnitude of accusation and data” and cited a nonaccomplishment of trust.

Regner relied connected different Marines to archer him that each work members were certified to swim, adjacent though immoderate weren’t, said Carver. Regner was told “they’re stellar, that they’re supra average, that they were deployable,” helium said.

Regner knew of mechanical problems but was told they were fixed, said Carver. Problems with flight hatches connected the all-terrain vehicles were known wrong the Marines for “years and years.”

The Marines usage the vehicles to transport troops and their instrumentality from Navy ships to land. The armored vehicles outfitted with instrumentality guns and grenade launchers look similar tanks arsenic they rotation ashore for formation attacks, with Marines pouring retired of them to instrumentality up positions.

Other Marines are expected to look imaginable discharge. Col. Christopher J. Bronzi, who supervised Regner, was relieved of bid of the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit past year.

The sheet was expected to reappraisal thousands of pages of investigative reports and grounds earlier turning to courtroom testimony, apt connected Thursday.

“This is going to beryllium a hard decision,” Lt. Col. Michael McDonald said successful the military’s opening statement. “The bottommost enactment is Lt. Col. Ragner’s substandard show acceptable the conditions for the sinking.”

Every ngo has problems, McDonald said, but Regner ignored reddish flags that should person led him to determine the unit was unprepared for its assignment.

The Marine Corps probe recovered inadequate grooming of platoon members who were provided amphibious battle vehicles that had not been utilized successful much than a twelvemonth and were successful “poor condition.” The platoon made repairs successful a unreserved to conscionable a deadline, according to the investigation.

It took 45 minutes for the vessel to descend and if the distress awesome had been seen sooner, it’s apt rescuers could person saved the troops, the study stated.

As the h2o levels continued rising, the troops who had lone trained connected onshore remained wrong the broken-down vessel successful seas that were rougher than expected, according to the findings.

They were not told to region their helmets, weapons and different gear, which prevented them from being capable to escape. Their beingness jackets besides whitethorn person prevented them from removing their assemblage armor and proved useless successful keeping them afloat due to the fact that of the weight, according to the investigation.

At slightest 2 of the troops had not completed their swimming certifications.

The exigency lights did not function, and nary markings were enactment connected a broadside hatch, leaving troops scrambling successful the dark, utilizing their cellphone lights to find it, according to the findings.

Once they did, they struggled to unfastened it, losing time. As they yet pried unfastened the hatch, different battle conveyance came to rescue the unit and ended up colliding with the distressed vessel, which turned broadside into a question that swept implicit it.

The troops were knocked disconnected their feet, and h2o flooded done the hatch and into the compartment, causing the conveyance to rapidly sink.

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