Lejeune probes parachute tampering after three are injured during jump (Sabotage?)

Winston Salem Journal ^ | September 28, 2002 | AP

[mykdsmom]

CAMP LEJEUNE

Someone may have tampered with at least 12 Marine parachutes at Camp Lejeune, forcing three jumpers to use their reserve chutes as they fell from the sky earlier this month, investigators say.

Marine investigators and agents from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service are now looking for a possible saboteur, who they allege cut suspension lines on prepacked parachutes stored in 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force warehouses. The investigation was reported yesterday by WNCT-TV in Greenville and on the Web site of the Marine Corps Times.

The tampering was discovered Sept. 21, after three Marines' parachutes failed during a routine training jump.

Only two of them saw their main chutes open. The three others - two officers and a noncommissioned officer - were forced to use the reserve chutes at their waists to land safely.

The three jumpers, whose names were being withheld by investigators, suffered minor injuries during the exercise.

The tampering was discovered during post-jump examinations. MEF Chief of Staff Col. Dewey Mauldin suspended jump operations and ordered a review of all prepacked chutes stored in the warehouses.

During that review, at least nine other chutes still packed and waiting on the shelves were found to have similar problems, investigators told the Marine Corps Times.

It was unclear how the sabotaged chutes passed prejump inspections, which are routinely conducted after the chutes have been distributed randomly to jumpers.

Each jumper is inspected twice before the jump by two certified jumpmasters to make sure of the "serviceability and proper fit" of the parachute, said Gunnery Sgt. Vic Ziliani.

No arrests had been made as of yesterday, and Marine officials would not speculate on likely suspects.

"Nothing is being ruled in or ruled out," said Klain Garriga, the special agent in charge of NCIS operations at Camp Lejeune.

Those in charge, including Maj. Gen. Pete Osman, the 2nd MEF commander, are determined to restore the Marines' faith in the system.

[mykdsmom]

NC Ping!

MKM

[Texas_Jarhead]

string the culprit up by his web belt!

[terilyn]

EVERYONE NEEDS A HELPING HAND! SUPPORT FREE REPUBLIC TODAY! VOTE REPUBLICAN!

VOTE THE RATS OUT!!
DONATE TONIGHT
SUPPORT FREE REPUBLIC
Donate here by secure server

Or mail checks to
FreeRepublic , LLC
PO BOX 9771
FRESNO, CA 93794

[Chad Fairbanks]

this doesn't bode well....

[Howlin]

As I said to you earlier in the week, all our state news is bad lately.

[Amelia]

This is not good.

[Madcelt]

Better Idea. Wall locker... Third story of barracks...Gravity. Repeat until desired effect is achieved! If You know what I mean.

[Chad Fairbanks]

Hmmm... Poly-kim... aft steering... three or four days... THEN we do your idea...

[Madcelt]

I'll compromise, 12 hours yours, then mine Deal?

[RANGERAIRBORNE]

I remember a story about a barracks thief in the French Foreign Legion (told over several beers one night by a Corsican who had been in the Legion)- apparently they caught this schmuck stealing, and nailed him to the floor with bayonets.

I would do no less to anyone who would deliberately tamper with packed parachutes. The trick is to make his death as prolonged and painful as humanly possible- without being caught.

[Texas_Jarhead]

or perhaps the perp should be made to have a little get together with the 3 Marines whose main chutes failed

[Chad Fairbanks]

Works for me... of course, having been taped to a bulkhead in aft-steering for several hours, I can attest to it's lack of comfort ;0)


btw, an intersting aside? When I was in boot camp in 1988, there were two Iraqi nationals in my company... not that it's relevent to the current discussion, of course...

[The FRugitive]

Would civilians have access? What could another Marine's motive be?

[Chad Fairbanks]

Sleeper?

[Madcelt]

I would do no less to anyone who would deliberately tamper with packed parachutes. The trick is to make his death as prolonged and painful as humanly possible- without being caught. :RANGERAIRBORNE,/p>

or perhaps the perp should be made to have a little get together with the 3 Marines whose main chutes failed:Texas_Jarhead

Gentlemen we have a compromise

[mykdsmom]

I don't know if civilians would have access or not, seems unlikely.

I seem to remember a story out of Ft. Bragg about a Iraqi who became a US service member. I believe this guy was caught doing something illegal on the base but I don't remember what it was.

I'll see if I can find the story.

MKM

[hoot2]

"string the culprit up by his web belt! "

punishment should "fit the crime"...
throw em out of a plane with a "bad chute"...
over some rough terrain, inhabited by "wild animals".

[RANGERAIRBORNE]

I am not joking- I have had the sad experience of watching another jumper fall to his death when his main parachute failed to open- he got that chute from the same pile I took mine from (although I hope I would have been quicker to recognize the problem and deploy my reserve...)

[mykdsmom]

I found the story, check this out.

If one can do it I suppose there could be more out there.

MKM