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FEDERALhearing transcript
High Impact

Congressional Hearing on Military Training Accidents

Original title: LEARNING FROM AND PREVENTING FUTURE TRAINING MISHAPS

January 1, 2022

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The Frame

What this does

The hearing addresses the finding that more U.S. service members have died in non-combat training accidents than in combat operations every year since 2015, prompting congressional oversight into military safety protocols and equipment maintenance.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

Active Duty Military Personnel

Service members are subject to the training protocols and equipment maintenance standards discussed in the hearing.

Department of Defense

The military branches are responsible for implementing safety standards and maintaining the equipment involved in training mishaps.

What changed

Last recorded activity January 1, 2022.

What's next

Next step not available in the current record.

Summary

The House held a hearing to address the high rate of non-combat deaths among U.S. military personnel during training exercises. The committee reviewed data on aviation mishaps and accidents to identify ways to prevent future preventable losses of life.

Key Facts

  • Between 2006 and 2018, 32 percent of Active Duty military deaths were caused by accidents, compared to 16 percent killed in action.
  • Since 2015, non-combat military deaths have exceeded combat-related deaths every year.
  • The National Commission on Military Aviation Safety reported over 6,000 aviation mishaps between 2013 and 2019, resulting in 224 deaths.
  • The GAO is reviewing 4,000 tactical vehicle accidents from the last decade that resulted in 120 deaths.
  • 17 sailors were lost in Surface Navy collisions in 2017.
  • 9 service members died in a training incident off San Clemente Island, California.
  • The hearing was held on March 23, 2021, via Webex.

Why It Matters

The hearing addresses the finding that more U.S. service members have died in non-combat training accidents than in combat operations every year since 2015, prompting congressional oversight into military safety protocols and equipment maintenance.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why are so many service members dying in training?
The hearing highlights concerns regarding aging equipment, poor maintenance, and the high frequency of training mishaps in aviation and operations.
What is the role of the Subcommittee on Readiness in this issue?
The subcommittee provides oversight of military training and equipment maintenance to ensure the safety of service members and the operational readiness of the armed forces.

News Coverage

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Sponsors

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Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift100% confidence

Shift in Military Mortality Trends

The document highlights a significant statistical shift where non-combat training deaths have consistently outnumbered combat deaths since 2015.

Connected Entities

organizationNational Commission on Military Aviation SafetyCommission whose findings were discussed regarding aviation mishapsMap →
personGary L. ThomasAssistant Commandant of the Marine CorpsMap →
personDavid W. AllvinVice Chief of Staff, U.S. Air ForceMap →
personJohn GaramendiChairman of the Subcommittee on ReadinessMap →
personJoseph M. MartinVice Chief of Staff, U.S. ArmyMap →
personDoug LambornRanking Member of the Subcommittee on ReadinessMap →
organizationGovernment Accountability OfficeAgency conducting a review of tactical vehicle accidentsMap →
personWilliam K. LescherVice Chief of Naval Operations, U.S. NavyMap →

Sources

Open source document

www.govinfo.gov

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance85
    How much this matters to a regular citizen
  • Controversy40
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment20
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz30
    Current news / social attention level

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