U.S. Marines dropped four bombs on the Great Barrier Reef

Burtonrider10022

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Feb 25, 2008
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[URL=http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/07/19/19566852-emergency-forced-jets-to-drop-4-unarmed-bombs-on-great-barrier-reef-us-official?lite]Emergency forced jets to drop 4 unarmed bombs on Great Barrier Reef:[/URL] said:
Two Marine Corps jets were forced to make an emergency jettison off the coast of Australia this week, dropping four unarmed bombs into the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, two U.S. officials told NBC News.

The two AV-8B Harriers were conducting a training mission on Tuesday that would have them drop the bombs on a range on Townshend Island. When the time came to drop the ordnance, the pilots were told that the range was not clear. After trying several times, they began to run low on fuel and realized they could not land with the bombs they were carrying.

“They chose to save the aircraft,” one U.S. official said, explaining that the Harriers could not land with the ordnance and they could not continue to wait with their shortage of fuel.

The Great Barrier Reef, the world’s largest coral reef, stretches more than 1,200 miles along the Queensland coast, from the mainland towns of Port Douglas to Bundaberg. The reef contains an abundance of marine life and comprises more than 3,000 individual reef systems and coral cays.

Each Harrier dropped two 500-pound bombs: one BDU 45 and one High Explosive GBU 12, for a total of four. The BDU 45s are inert and the GBU 12s were unarmed when released, so none of the bombs exploded.

A U.S. official explained that the chance that one of the two bombs could still explode is extremely remote.

The bombs were dropped roughly 16 nautical miles south of Bell Cay in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. The U.S. official said the pilots and commander selected a location at sea where the risk of reef damage would be minimal. The official described it as a “deep channel,” saying it was about 60 meters (about 197 feet) deep.

The bombs do not pose a danger to ships, the official explained.

The U.S. Navy is already in the early stages of planning a salvage operation to recover the bombs. The Marine Corps and Navy are also investigating the incident, along with Australian authorities.

The Harriers were attached to the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, which operates off of the USS Bonhomme Richard. They were exercising in the area in advance of Exercise Talisman Saber.

Australia isn't very happy: America 'bombs' the Great Barrier Reef in training exercise that went wrong - Telegraph


And the U.S. Navy is undertaking the task of recovering the bombs: Navy to recover bombs dropped on Great Barrier Reef - World News



Hey, accidents happen, and better a few starfish and some coral than a couple boats full of Aussies. :dunno:

BUT, this quote (from the last link about the Navy recovering the bombs) is basically how I feel:

Environmentalists have criticized holding such large-scale military exercises in sensitive areas such as the Great Barrier Reef, [...]

I agree, there's a lot of ocean out there gentlemen, let's try to avoid the sensitive ecosystems next time.
 

rocket5979

Gearhead
Nov 15, 2005
6,576
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Round Lake, IL
The last time I was on a military training exercise in Rockhampton, Queensland (2001), the Marines decided to shoot an Emu with a M2 HB .50 cal machinegun. The Emu is their unofficial national bird, so it would be like the Aussies coming over here and shooting a bald eagle with a belt fed machinegun. Needless to say, the Aussies weren't happy and that Marine unit was booted out of the country. We have really bad luck with national symbols in Rockhampton, it seems.
 

rocket5979

Gearhead
Nov 15, 2005
6,576
18
Round Lake, IL
Why would they use a live bird as target practice?!

Because they were being assholes. They tried to claim the gun went runaway, but the problem was that they went through two full belts of ammo. So, unless a runaway gun can reload itself with a second belt of ammo, then someone was lieing. The aussies were pissed at all of us, and rightfully so.
 

rocket5979

Gearhead
Nov 15, 2005
6,576
18
Round Lake, IL
It's a big reef.....who gives a rat's ass?

Because it's one of the most important oceanic ecosystems on the planet.......that's all......

Killing any vast ecosystem like that would have immense worldwide environmental consequences. Ecosystems are like Jenga, if you pull too many blocks then the tower will topple. While the tower does seek to maintain a balance even after blocks are removed; once tipped too far it cannot save itself. If the tower topples then it is game over.
 

rocket5979

Gearhead
Nov 15, 2005
6,576
18
Round Lake, IL
I'm sorry, but those marines should have had more serious consequences than just getting shipped out of the country (demotions, discharges, etc)

No need to be sorry at all for saying what they deserved man. They may have been my "fellow" servicemen, but they were still assholes.

The gun team that perpetrated the incident did get quite a bit more punishment than just deportation since they caused an international incident. They were reprimanded with more than just a mere slap on the wrist, as well as everyone up their chain of command to their CO.
 
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