A String of Mistakes (Live vs. Blank Ammo)

Four Marines may be charged in the shooting death of a private — how an exercise went wrong

CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. — A Marine sergeant mistakenly loaded his M-4 carbine with live rounds instead of blanks and fatally shot Pfc. Jeremy R. Purcell during an Aug. 28 training accident here, military investigators concluded.

Now, Sgt. Cody W. Ottley could be charged with negligent homicide and dereliction of duty. And three of his former superiors with 1st Force Reconnaissance Company could face the same or lesser charges after investigators found systemic problems in the way recon Marines stored ammunition and a failure to check that Marines hadn’t loaded live rounds for what was to be a blanks-only exercise.

Those findings have had larger repercussions, resulting in new safety procedures at Pendleton that could be adopted Corpswide.

The investigation report — portions of which were released Nov. 20 to the media — states that Ottley, 27, a rifleman with the Force Recon company’s 3rd Platoon with five years in the Corps, fired a burst of rounds at Purcell during the close-quarters combat exercise at Range 131, an urban-combat training site here.

Twenty-nine Force Recon Marines with 3rd Platoon were playing the role of aggressors while Purcell and 10 other members of Military Police Detachment, Marine Expeditionary Unit Service Support Group 15, were on the defensive inside a training building.

The exercise was part of the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit’s predeployment work-ups for a planned six-month deployment to the Western Pacific.

Ottley told Naval Criminal Investigative Service agents that during the simulated raid he entered a 12-foot-long room in the building and saw Purcell firing from the corner, so he returned fire.

“I immediately noticed the rounds were very loud” for blanks, he said in a statement to NCIS agents. “As I was still looking through my aim point, I saw Pfc. Purcell hit the wall.

“I ran over to him, dropped my magazine and noticed I had inserted a magazine of frangible [live] rounds” rather than the blanks the Marines were supposed to use.

In the days following the shooting, base officials confirmed only that one live round was fired and killed the 19-year-old Marine. But during the Nov. 20 press briefing, they revealed that Ottley’s rifle — loaded with a magazine containing 30 live rounds — fired six shots, four of which hit Purcell.

One bullet hit his left shoulder, and three rounds tore through his Interceptor flak jacket and into the left side of his chest, killing him. The shot to the shoulder might not have killed him, but the other three rounds caused significant damage to Purcell’s heart and lungs, according to autopsy documents provided by I Marine Expeditionary Force.

Frangible, or “soft,” rounds are designed to break apart when they hit walls or other hard surfaces to prevent ricochets during close-quarters combat. But when the first round hit the metal blank-firing adapter screwed onto the barrel of Ottley’s M-4, the adapter shattered instead and the weapon continued to function properly.

That first round “didn’t go far” after hitting the adapter, while the second bullet hit a wall, an official here said. The next four rounds hit Purcell.

Weapons experts who have seen live rounds fired through blank-firing adapters say the weapons typically suffer catastrophic damage, in some cases blowing apart where the weapon’s upper and lower receivers connect. But Ottley’s weapon suffered only minor damage; the rifle’s flash suppressor was blown off, along with the blank-firing adapter and a targeting device for the Multiple Integrated Laser Engagement System equipment the Marines were using along with the blank rounds.

The rounds also didn’t shatter when they hit Purcell’s flak jacket. The Marines were not using the ceramic plates that can be inserted into pockets on the front and back of the flak jackets because they wouldn’t have been necessary in a blanks-only exercise, said Col. William D. Durrett, staff judge advocate for I MEF. Without the ceramic plates inserted, an Interceptor flak jacket is intended to protect the wearer only from shrapnel and 9 mm rounds; the plates add protection for rounds up to 7.62 mm, according to information published by the Army Soldier Systems Center in Natick, Mass.

The recon Marines fired frangible rounds in a live-fire exercise the previous day. But unlike other less-experienced Marines on the base, the Force Recon leathernecks were allowed to store magazines loaded with live or blank rounds overnight with their other gear “in 3rd Platoon’s living area … under guard” near the urban-training range, according to a statement by I MEF officials.

About 4 p.m. Aug. 28, after wrapping up another live-fire training session, 1st Special Operations Training Group officials told the Marines of 3rd Platoon that they were not to bring live ammunition to the day’s second exercise, a blanks-only session to be held at the urban-training facility, I MEF officials said in the statement.

Yet when Ottley returned to the 3rd Platoon living area to grab two loaded magazines for the session, “one of the magazines was loaded with live, 5.56 mm ammunition.”

“He made the wrong choice,” Durrett said, adding that it’s not clear why a Force Recon Marine — among the Corps’ most highly trained infantrymen — didn’t notice the weight difference between the two magazines or why he apparently didn’t examine the rounds inside before loading his rifle and notice he had the wrong ammo.

Durrett added that it doesn’t appear a “buddy check” occurred, in which Marines or their field leaders check each other’s ammo before loading.

“It wasn’t a procedure with these guys,” even though less-experienced Marines at Pendleton commonly do so, Durrett said. “You should look at what you put in your magazine at any time, in case there is dirt in there.”

Gunnery Sgt. Richard T. Kerkering, platoon sergeant for 3rd Platoon, told safety investigators that considering the experience of the recon leathernecks, if Ottley’s team leader took his word that he’d properly loaded the weapon rather than doing a visual inspection, “I would be comfortable with that.”

Ottley, Kerkering, team leader Staff Sgt. Chad R. Chalkey and platoon commander Capt. Andrew T. Horne have been reassigned to other jobs in the Force Recon company while they await a decision by the unit’s commander, Lt. Col. Adam J. Copp. Durrett wouldn’t speculate on when Copp might make any decisions.

Jeremy Purcell’s father, Jon, is a retired Navy construction battalion “Seabee” and recalled his own experiences during 21 years of service as he questioned the circumstances that allowed the shooting to happen.

“The more information the Marine Corps gives me, the more pissed off I get. I’m just madder than hell. … The amount of negligence here just astounds me,” said Purcell, who was given a copy of the investigation report days before the media.

Purcell, who lives in Provo, Utah, said he couldn’t fathom why the procedures for handling ammunition and weapons in his son’s company were so lax.

“In the first place, live ammunition should have never been stored with personal gear,” he said. “It’s not done at Camp Lejeune. It’s not done on Okinawa. You just don’t do that. … What the hell is with Camp Pendleton?”

Even before the investigators’ findings were disclosed to the Purcell family Nov. 7, Jon Purcell said he suspected safety failures that led to his son’s death might involve others in the command.

“You could almost describe it as a comedy of errors, but it’s not one damn bit funny,” he said. “The shooter, at the very minimum, needs to face negligent-homicide charges. And the others above him, I think dereliction in the performance of duty … at the very least Article 15” nonjudicial proceedings.

However those involved might be punished, Jon Purcell, a father of nine, said he and several members of his family want to be there to witness any proceedings. “My daughters in Iowa are saving their money to come to this.”

Durrett said that until the Aug. 28 accident, “This is the first time we knew we had this mixing of ammunition.”

On Nov. 14, the day before he turned over command of I MEF to become the Marine Corps’ next commandant, Lt. Gen. Michael W. Hagee authorized a series of changes intended to prevent similar accidents in the future. Those changes include:

** More personnel will be brought in to help range safety officers. Also, the safety officers will not be given additional tasks that would inhibit them from performing their primary duty.

** 1st Special Operations Training Group will assume “definitive control” of ammunition distribution and storage during its training evolutions.

** Two-party verification of ammunition being loaded will be required during training involving blanks.

In addition, Lt. Gen. James T. Conway, I MEF’s new commander, ordered on Nov. 20 that units under his command no longer train with live rounds and blanks on the same day.

Durrett said those and other recommendations were sent to senior staff of the Marine Corps, so they can be considered for use at other bases. A first-of-its-kind checklist of range safety officer responsibilities also is being forwarded.

First Sgt. Michael Dechy of 1st Force Reconnaissance Company, who was not involved in the Aug. 28 training, said he created the more than 100-item checklist using a combination of existing base regulations and the common-sense things he does when he runs a range.

They include ensuring safety personnel are in place before training begins and making sure all Marines’ weapons and pockets are checked for extra rounds before they leave.

“You would probably do 99.9 percent of those. Some of these are inherent in planning,” Dechy said, noting that the list is meant to ensure some things aren’t forgotten, such as checking that the on-scene ambulance is gassed and its battery is in good shape.

In the meantime, the Purcell family is trying to cope with what they have learned about Jeremy’s death.

“They are upset. I don’t know if they will ever come to grips with it,” Jon Purcell said. “I don’t know if I will.”

When asked if he planned to take any legal action against the Marines, he said, “Let me put it this way: There are attorneys involved.” But he wouldn’t elaborate.

Many military-type Freepers may remember the heated thread that followed the post of 09 Oct 02

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/765810/posts

that discussed the death of one Marine and wounding of another in Kuwait when they were fired on by Kuwaitis during a training exercise. Many uniformed Freepers argued that the Marines were to blame because they only had blank ammunition and were unable to immediately return fire. This article reveals the potential tragedy in that approach.

My BIGGEST questions:

This was a marine SERGEANT
Who mixed live and blank ammo together
Who picked up a magazine of live ammo (they weigh about 3x what a magazine of blank ammo does)
Did not notice live rounds in the magazine (live and blank rounds look completely different).
Chambered his weapon and fired THROUGH HIS BLANK FIRING ADAPTER (if doing this does not make you go "what the f*ck" - I do not know what will). Then he KEPT FIRING.

And they make fun of officers...

Many uniformed Freepers argued that the Marines were to blame because they only had blank ammunition and were unable to immediately return fire.

Yep. I remember that. I participated in one of those threads. People were going over the top- saying we were crazy for suggesting that the Military shouldn't mix live and blank ammo during a training exercise. This is what happens when you do. Training is intense- it's an adrenal rush. MOUT training is even more so. You act without thinking often. I can well imagine it never entered this Marine SGT's mind what he was doing as he slapped that mag in his weapon.

You can't allow Marines or Soldiers to be running around with both types of ammo at the same time. I'm surprised the barrel didn't explode with the blank adapator in place...

There's not a lot of time for thinking here. He entered a room, was fired on and returned fire immediately. You can squeeze off 6 rounds in less than one second easily when your selector switch is set to "burst". When you're playing with blanks you're already preprogrammed that "nothing is going to happen" and to "overkill" the situation. If it moves- shoot it- the worst that happens is you make your buddy go "beeeeeeeep". It's one of the drawbacks to this type of training...

Well, at least he was a good shot.

Another lesson - fight the way you train and train the way you fight. Everyone should have had their ceramic plates in. It may not have saved the PFC but we will never know. What I do know that if this was a real fight every joe there would have had their plates in.

Hard to say from just a press report, you'd have to read the USMC version of a 15-6 investigation to understand the facts. But, My understanding is that they relaxed the rules because this is an "elite, highly trained unit". Well, even the best trained, most combat experienced units make mistakes. This mistake is, unfortunately, all too common; which is why there are procedures to prevent mixing blank with live ammo. Chain of command did not do its job in this case.

I think something about this stinks. When I was in the Corps it was ammo control, ammo control, ammo control. There was 0% chance of this kind of mistake happening. All ammo was checked in and out with 100% control over it at all times.

And for a SGT. to mistake a mag loaded with live ammo for blank ammo? There's a big weight difference there!

The current issue M16's are three shot burst capable so the SGT had to pull the trigger multiple times. You would think that after feeling the recoil, hearing the noise, and SEEING HIS BFD, (blank firing device) DISINTEGRATE, he would not pull the FREAKING trigger AGAIN!

Bad mistake and hopefully the SGT and the people in charge of the ammo loadouts are going to be my new neighbors. (I live near Leavenworth)

Semper Fi

I participated in that thread- on the "uninformed" side. IIRC I didn't suggest that troops, as SOP, should be allowed or encouraged to mix blank and live rounds- noting rather that in my experience troops often chose to carry live rounds with them, regardless of SOP.

Guess this event is a pretty strong arguement for discouraging that practice.

My sympathies to the dead marine, his family, and also the marine who killed him. very sad.

A momentary lapse in standard safety rules caused that Marine's death. They say that familiarity breeds contempt and I guess that the sargent had shot his M4 with blanks so long that pointing it and pulling the trigger at other Marines no longer caused any danger flags to go off.

Check your mags, double check your mags, and then have a buddy check them for the correct loads.

This was no accident. With the BFD in place, the M-4 (m-16) in the hands of that Sgt would have blown up in his face. They are built that way. I have seen what happens to an M-16 that had a live round up the spout with a BFD installed. Trashed the weapon and put the trooper in the hospital for a week (and out of the Army) There is no mention of a BFD in the report, but one can assume that they would be in use during a "blank-only" operation. At the very least this was gross negligence and tops the scale at premeditated murder.
I, as a regular habit, carried live rounds quite often (against regs!) while training, as did many of my buddies. We were VERY careful to seperate the live mags from any traing ammo(blanks) that we may have had. The best method was to use a 20 round mag for live ammo VS a 30 round for blanks. (we also taped the tops of the 20 round mags) I'm not sure why we did this (seemed like a good idea at the time) but as long as there was no trouble, it was not stopped by our NCOs, who were also packing live ammo. There may also be a vast gulf between the operational attitude that we had as scouts vs the average line infantry Marine of today. Whatever the reason behind the death of that young Marine, the morale of that unit will be trashed, the respect that the troops had for their NCOs will be eroded and the combat readiness of the unit will be reduced.

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.