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San Diego Union-Tribune
May 2, 2007
'Negligence' cited in '06 training incident
By Rick Rogers, Staff Writer
CAMP PENDLETON -- Lax ammunition checks, a cavalier attitude about weapons safety, poor leadership and even darkness all contributed to last fall's fatal shooting of a Marine during training at Camp Pendleton, according to an investigation released yesterday.
The report's findings led military prosecutors to charge Sgt. Caleb P. Hohman with negligent homicide and dereliction of duty. On Oct. 30, Hohman killed Cpl. Seth Algrim by shooting him twice during an urban-combat exercise. He had failed to replace the live ammunition in his rifle with blanks.
If convicted, Hohman could be sentenced to 3½ years in prison and given a dishonorable discharge.
The investigating officer also recommended that at least five other Marines, including two officers, receive administrative punishment for not following weapons safeguards. The military typically doesn't disclose such disciplinary actions, which range from a formal reprimand to a short time in jail.
“The death of (Algrim) was the result of individual and small-unit negligence and a lack of supervision. The tragedy could have been prevented,” Maj. Gen. John Paxton Jr., commander of the 1st Marine Division, wrote in a letter accompanying the report.
This is the second time in five years that a Camp Pendleton Marine was inadvertently killed by live bullets. Marine commanders said they're again revamping protocol to better account for live ammunition and more closely inspect troops before each non-fire training session.
The circumstances leading to Algrim's death began Oct. 20, when Hohman became sick during live-fire training on the base. He was treated at the Camp Pendleton hospital and put on light duty for five days starting Oct. 22.
Hohman's gear was stowed and then moved to the site of the next exercise, one that would involve only blanks. But nobody – from Hohman to Marines supervising the urban-combat simulation – checked to make sure that Hohman's rifle didn't contain live ammunition, the investigation showed.
The nighttime exercise took place Oct. 30. It included Algrim and nine other role players from the B Company, 1st Reconnaissance Battalion.
Hohman shot at Algrim twice but missed both times, the report said. Later, Algrim was pretending to be an incapacitated insurgent lying on top his rifle when Hohman and a corpsman approached.
Hohman fired twice after seeing Algrim's rifle, hitting Algrim once in the arm and oncein the head, the investigation concluded.
Algrim died instantly. It's likely that poor nighttime visibility made it difficult for Hohman to realize he had shot through the blank adapter of his weapon, the investigating officer wrote.
Hohman is cited for not turning in his live ammunition before leaving the firing range Oct. 20 and for failing to load blanks into his rifle's magazine ahead of the Oct. 30 exercise.
The investigator noted that reconnaissance Marines often failed to account for all live ammunition before and after exercises. The report also showed that commanders tended to rely on individual Marines to be responsible for their own weapons, while the rank and file typically thought leaders were in charge of safety precautions.
“To paraphrase one supremely confident lance corporal when asked ... about the random or total lack of checks he received for loose ammunition: 'We operated under big-boy rules,'” the investigation said.
Algrim, 22, was waiting to attend reconnaissance school when he died. The investigation described him as a heralded sniper in Afghanistan. He was a native of Garden City, Kan.
May 2, 2007
'Negligence' cited in '06 training incident
By Rick Rogers, Staff Writer
CAMP PENDLETON -- Lax ammunition checks, a cavalier attitude about weapons safety, poor leadership and even darkness all contributed to last fall's fatal shooting of a Marine during training at Camp Pendleton, according to an investigation released yesterday.
The report's findings led military prosecutors to charge Sgt. Caleb P. Hohman with negligent homicide and dereliction of duty. On Oct. 30, Hohman killed Cpl. Seth Algrim by shooting him twice during an urban-combat exercise. He had failed to replace the live ammunition in his rifle with blanks.
If convicted, Hohman could be sentenced to 3½ years in prison and given a dishonorable discharge.
The investigating officer also recommended that at least five other Marines, including two officers, receive administrative punishment for not following weapons safeguards. The military typically doesn't disclose such disciplinary actions, which range from a formal reprimand to a short time in jail.
“The death of (Algrim) was the result of individual and small-unit negligence and a lack of supervision. The tragedy could have been prevented,” Maj. Gen. John Paxton Jr., commander of the 1st Marine Division, wrote in a letter accompanying the report.
This is the second time in five years that a Camp Pendleton Marine was inadvertently killed by live bullets. Marine commanders said they're again revamping protocol to better account for live ammunition and more closely inspect troops before each non-fire training session.
The circumstances leading to Algrim's death began Oct. 20, when Hohman became sick during live-fire training on the base. He was treated at the Camp Pendleton hospital and put on light duty for five days starting Oct. 22.
Hohman's gear was stowed and then moved to the site of the next exercise, one that would involve only blanks. But nobody – from Hohman to Marines supervising the urban-combat simulation – checked to make sure that Hohman's rifle didn't contain live ammunition, the investigation showed.
The nighttime exercise took place Oct. 30. It included Algrim and nine other role players from the B Company, 1st Reconnaissance Battalion.
Hohman shot at Algrim twice but missed both times, the report said. Later, Algrim was pretending to be an incapacitated insurgent lying on top his rifle when Hohman and a corpsman approached.
Hohman fired twice after seeing Algrim's rifle, hitting Algrim once in the arm and oncein the head, the investigation concluded.
Algrim died instantly. It's likely that poor nighttime visibility made it difficult for Hohman to realize he had shot through the blank adapter of his weapon, the investigating officer wrote.
Hohman is cited for not turning in his live ammunition before leaving the firing range Oct. 20 and for failing to load blanks into his rifle's magazine ahead of the Oct. 30 exercise.
The investigator noted that reconnaissance Marines often failed to account for all live ammunition before and after exercises. The report also showed that commanders tended to rely on individual Marines to be responsible for their own weapons, while the rank and file typically thought leaders were in charge of safety precautions.
“To paraphrase one supremely confident lance corporal when asked ... about the random or total lack of checks he received for loose ammunition: 'We operated under big-boy rules,'” the investigation said.
Algrim, 22, was waiting to attend reconnaissance school when he died. The investigation described him as a heralded sniper in Afghanistan. He was a native of Garden City, Kan.