Marine Corps’ safety culture ‘has got to improve’

Sgt Jerry Genesio
"The service members who died that day were, Pfc. Bryan J. Baltierra, 18, of Corona, California, a rifleman. Lance Cpl. Marco A. Barranco, 21, of Montebello, California, a rifleman. Pfc. Evan A. Bath, 19, of Oak Creek, Wisconsin, a rifleman. U.S. Navy Hospitalman Christopher Gnem, 22, of Stockton, California, a hospital corpsman. Pfc. Jack Ryan Ostrovsky, 20, of Bend, Oregon, a rifleman. Cpl. Wesley A. Rodd, 22, of Harris, Texas, a rifleman. Lance Cpl. Chase D. Sweetwood, 18, of Portland, Oregon, a rifleman. Cpl. Cesar A. ­Villanueva, 21, of Riverside, California, a rifleman. And Lance Cpl. Guillermo S. Perez, 19, of New Braunfels, Texas, a rifleman."

Sgt Jerry Genesio doesn’t the Corps conduct safety inspections on all of their equipment prior to a mission? This accident could have been prevented if proper safety protocol had been implemented imho

How do I say this. Some training is inherently dangerous like amphibious, airborne, aviation, and naval operations but a good risk assessment must be done to mitigate risks. It is a failure not to do a risk assessment or conducting one that does not address the potential risks inherent to the training.

However sometimes somethings will happen that is totally unexpected like let’s say the winds suddenly pick up during airborne operations.

I have seen a unit train as they fight which is inherently more dangerous because the missions are more dangerous. This increases the probability of trining accidents.

If I had to do a risk assessment on training on tanks and do not address roll overs or the potential of the driver being decapitated, then my risk assessment was poorly done.

In the civilian world the organizations tend to look at the probability of some negative event occurring. I followed the military methodology. I looked at it from the perspective a negative event will occur and how do I mitigate the risk. Let’s say I am concerned of the tank driver getting decapitated. The controls I will implement are his drivers hatch has to closed anytime he is in his station. If someone turns the turret they have to yell POWER in the intercom.