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.
Well said. The young sergeant who did this is doubtless a good Marine - he will have to live with the burden of this mistake for the rest of his life.