The collision of two CH-53 helicopters off the coast of Hawaii and the crash of a Republic of China Air Force F-16 in Arizona that combined to leave 12 Marines and a Taiwanese pilot dead bring one fact home: Even in peacetime, out troops risk everything to keep us safe. The mechanical issues suffered by the Freedom-class littoral combat ships Fort Worth (LCS 3) and Milwaukee (LCS 5) in the last two months also bring this point home.
The crew of USS Milwaukee had a particularly close call. Their ship lost the use of its engines at sea. Loss of propulsion while at sea proved fatal for the crew of SS El Faro last year, when its engines failed and the ship drifted into the path of Hurricane Joaquin. The Milwaukee was towed to Norfolk, where it is undergoing repairs. The Fort Worth suffered her engine problems pierside in Singapore. A timeframe for repairs for the Fort Worth still seems to be up in the air.
One of the biggest reasons American troops perform well in combat has been realistic training. U.S. Army units have honed their combat skills at a number of bases, notably the National Training Center at Fort Irwin. Nellis Air Force Base is known for Red Flag, where pilots from the United States and allies have gotten the closest thing to combat experience without actually firing weapons in anger. The Navy, of course, famously had Top Gun, formerly at Miramar, but now at Naval Air Station Fallon.
This training is not without risks. The two CH-53E Super Stallion helicopters collided while on just such a training mission. In an 11-day span late last year, the Army suffered three accidents that left eight soldiers dead in South Korea, Fort Campbell, and Fort Hood. In 2013, seven Marines were killed when a mortar round exploded in the tube of a M224 mortar. An investigation later cited inadequate training and “human error” as the causes of the accidental blast.
Training – not only for combat, but to do the simple things like maintain the various systems used by ships, tanks, planes, helicopters, and every piece of equipment in the inventory – takes a lot of money and time. It also costs money to make sure that the equipment is in proper shape for the troops – so that the training can be as safe as it possibly can.
Training missions during peacetime – or even though conducted on a base far from the combat zone – will never be completely safe, though, even if the gear is properly maintained, and the troops have received adequate training prior to those missions. The risk of a malfunction or human error (as fine as the troops are and as great as America is, American troops are still recruited from the human race) is always present.
Combat carries obvious and readily apparent dangers for the troops. But the troops also risk their lives when they are training – and that is something that the last two months should bring home.