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Please re-read my posts.

I said IF there was no sufficient operational necessity for deviating from SOP, then the commander might be found negligent or derelict of duty.

Of course, if the fighting dictated that the Marines had to cross without taking time to string a safety line, or they had to cross there (no other position available) and a safety line could not be strung because of the banks, or similiar circumstance, then they had to cross and the risk was justified.

All I am saying is there has to be an operational reason for NOT taking the usual steps to keep troops safe. Wouldn't you agree?

And, yes, I was JAG. And, yes, I have been involved with these types of situations from the point of view of relieving or disciplining the leaders involved.

We had several guys die in an air-drop once (training). Why? Because the officer in charge did not think through the safety ramifications of the terrain. Those deaths were completely preventable.

In another unit, we had a soldier drown when he jumped out of a helicopter with all his gear and equipment on (also training). No one realized, or took the time to find out, or looked at what the rotor wash was revealing, that the "ground" actually was a marsh, not land. The soldier sunk immediately to the bottom. He was not even found for days. That death was preventable.

The farther you get away from training and the closer you get to combat, the bigger the risks you must take. BUT you still have to do everything that can be done, in the context of the operation, to keep your troops safe. That just makes sense.

This is not the Viet Nam-era military. When I went through Jungle Warfare School, one of the biggest emphases was on how to do a river crossing and get everybody and equipment over safely.

I'm hoping very much that the river crossing in which those two Marines were killed was conductly as safely as possible within operational constraints. Otherwise, JAG will be involved again.

"And, yes, I was JAG. And, yes, I have been involved with these types of situations from the point of view of relieving or disciplining the leaders involved."

Well, I most certainly recognize, respect and acknowledge your fullfilling a distinguished service to your country.

Kudos.

Never shall I forget the experience I had with one particular JAG.

JAGs have a "way" of interacting with other JAGs found to be in violation of thier code of conduct (which always seemed to be "one cut above"

This particular JAG was convicted of selling cocaine, fraternizing with the enlisted corp, and had the cunningness to recruit an enlisted's wife into his sphere of influence.

The last time I saw him, he was on his way to plush accomodations at Leavenworth Kansas just after having "fallen down" some stairs (accidentally).

He had a problem understanding respect for authority.