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BRAXTON MARINES DEATH WAS AVOIDABLE - Officers Facing Court Martial |
| (06/29/2005) |
| Four U.S. Marine Corps instructors could face court martial over the death of a Braxton County recruit. A report says the death of 19-year-old Jason Tharp of Flatwoods was the fault of four officers at Parris Island. "The family is pleased the Marine Corps took this case seriously," says Charleston attorney Peter Markham, speaking on behalf of the Tharp family. "They are also pleased to know exactly what happened to Jason down at Parris Island." The recent graduate of Braxton County High School entered the Marine Corps after graduation, but repeatedly expressed in letters home that he had made a mistake and wanted out. His death came a day after a South Carolina television crew happened to captured video of a drill instructor striking Tharp when he resisted engaging in a training exercise. The report says Tharp was either too fatigued or too frightened to continue with the water survival exercise. It says he should have been removed from the water. "The family finally has numerous statements from Jason's fellow recruits and a number of drill instructors that show exactly what happened." The investigative report concludes that officers failed to adequately follow standard operating procedure and recognize Tharp was too tired to continue. A second swimming instructor will be disciplined for threatening to throw Tharp into the pool at another time, information received from his squad members. The threat is a violation of standard operating procedure. The pool safety officer failed to adequately follow a standard order of reporting a senior drill instructor to superiors who struck Tharp. The report also said the safety officer was poorly trained. "The pool is supposed to be a low-stress environment. Another standing order of the pool safety officer is to reduce friction between the recruits and their senior drill instructors during water exercises. The report finds that clearly didn't happen," said the family attorney. The report said his senior drill instructor violated procedure when he struck Tharp.
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