KILLED IN DEADLY TRAINING ACCIDENT
On July 30, 2020, members of the 1st Battalion, 4th Regiment, 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, based at Camp Pendleton, engaged in amphibious training exercises at San Clemente Island off the coast of San Diego. As their amphibious assault vehicle (AAV) was returning to a Navy ship waiting off the island, the AAV began taking on water and quickly sank. The accident resulted in the deaths of nine Marines and has been described by the Marine Corps as the deadliest training accident involving that type of vehicle in the history of the Marine Corps. There were a reported fifteen Marines and one sailor aboard the AAV. After the sinking it was determined that seven Marines had successfully evacuated the AAV as it sank, one body was recovered at the scene, one injured Marine was airlifted to a San Diego hospital where he died, and the bodies of the remaining seven Marines were not recovered until the AAV was located by a robotic submarine and raised on August 7th from 385-feet. As of the time of this writing the Marine Corps has not announced the cause of the AAV taking on water.
PFC Bryan Juan-Carlos Baltierra was unfortunately one of the nine Marines who died during this accident and whose body was recovered on August 7th. Baltierra reported to Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego for recruit training on July 29, 2019. Upon graduation, he reported to the School of Infantry, Camp Pendleton, California, on November 11, 2019, where he was trained as a 0311, rifleman. On January 29, 2020, he reported to 1st Battalion, 4th Marines, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, aboard Camp Pendleton, California. At the time of his death, he was assigned to Bravo Company, Battalion Landing Team 1/4, 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit. PFC Baltierra has been buried at Riverside National Cemetery in Riverside, California, and is survived by his parents residing in Corona, California.
Submitted by CDR Roy A. Mosteller, USNR (Ret)
