PING!
Posted on 09/30/2002 7:36:46 PM PDT by 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.
This is a dumb statement--I think the media took something the Gunny said and 'ran with it'.
As you know, the JMPI isn't meant to catch a bad pack-job because the chute isn't unpacked--just the setup of the harness,the outside of the pack--static line routing...
I believe that practically anything is possible anymore. Think back to 18 months ago and how our lives were.
I can't believe I'm reading things now about smallpox vaccines and what to do in case of a nuclear attack. It's true what they say, "Ignorance IS Bliss".
MKM
Civilian and Military work together packing the chutes. I recently got Thank some of the people that make them.
string the culprit up by his entrails!</
All you can do is hope in this case. Did you ever have a malfunction?
Better! Tie his entrails to a cinder block, and then throw it out. Saves damage o the aircraft.
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. 11 posted on 9/30/02 8:04 PM Pacific by RANGERAIRBORNE
Worst part is, if the perp is caught the liberal whine will get them off ie Jihad johnny
By the way,Love your profile page. especially the 18th patch
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