MovieChat Forums > Navy Seals (1990) Discussion > How often do military trainees get kille...

How often do military trainees get killed in livefire exercises?


Any military guys know if this happens alot in training to some guys and we just don't here about it? or did it ever happen in any or your guys classes. It would be interesting to know.

I did work with some other guys that used to be marines and they said that quite a few people were killed in livefire accidents

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It happens, but when it does it's never made public. No statistic you'd ever read would be even remotely accurate.

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It happens more than you would think

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SEAL Team Six was only a few weeks old when it lost its first man to a live fire incident. Delta Force was lost a guy in a live fire exercise in 1990. SASR lost a man in 1980. In all of these elite units they often lose more men in training than they do in combat.

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the sasr has lost over 30 people so far

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Our base lost at least 5 guys in one year in what I know were training exercises. There were a lot more but they were reported as vehicle accidents and most of those probably really were what was reported.

If DeeDee's can't kill it, it's immortal.

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So, do you guys think that livefire exercises are unnecessary? Or do you just have to take the good with the (for lack of a better word) "bad"?

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People get killed in training quite often. (or badly hurt) Heck we even had a kid when I was going though die of overhydration (was forced to drink too much water) It happens.

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Abn-

"As for stats - the military does in fact keep very good records of folks who are killed in training. All conventional units and nearly..."

The question is not "does the military keep accurate records" but "does the military releases this information to the public?"

His words may not have asked that precisely worded question.

The military does keep accurate records. The OP wants to know is if the info is passed on to the public. That is what others are stating here. The military does not release this information to the general public. At least I do not read this in all papers or see this in the TV every time it happens.

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That...was a great post.

We see people killed in LFX frequently in war movies. The most recent I can recall was Jarhead, but I know I've seen others. Tigerland, possibly?

I see the need for it. These people are training to kill an enemy while being engaged...which comes with real danger. To train for that, there has to be a certain amount of real, not percieved danger...or what's the point. And, fast ropeing out of a chopper...it's not like going down a sliding board. When working with explosives and heights in extreme conditions with giant machines around...accidents will happen.

"When you're pushed, killing's as easy as breathing."

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You have to be more specific. Deaths in training are common but deaths from bullet wounds during live-fire exercises are quite rare. Training deaths mostly come from falls, heat exhaustion, vehicle/equipment accidents, drowning, all the sort of incidents you would expect from any labor intensive activity of that level. By comparison LFX training may be some of the safest training events for two reasons. First, because of the extensive safety measures taken, and secondly because live-fire events are mostly limited to elite forces like US Navy Seals, SAS, Delta Force, etc. meaning the soldiers involved are the most highly trained and experienced there are. Common soldiers are seldom if ever involved in FLX.

On a side note, because this statistic really does not relate to the topic, it was noted that, even including combat deaths, the death rate among US service personel was lower during Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm than during the same period the year before during peacetime. This was mostly attributed to the extended time soldiers spent in the desert with no cars, alcohol or off-duty time for mischief.


Gus
"It needs more cow-bell"

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"LFX are mostly limited to elite forces like..."
Who told you this? I spent five years in the Army Infantry, hardly an elite force, and took part in many live fire exercises. Incidentally, I never saw or even heard of anyone getting killed in one.

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For every military man you see walking around, atleast 3 have been killed in livefire exercises, in North Korea its around 4/5 that get killed

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^that's the stupidest *beep* I've ever read.

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For every military man you see walking around, atleast 3 have been killed in livefire exercises, in North Korea its around 4/5 that get killed

maybe if you add up every military in the last 50,000 years. Otherwise I'm responding to a madman.

___________________________________________________________________________
People who think that "alot" is a word in English are almost always idiots.

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Yeah you would be more likely to die during a parachute jump than to be shot during a LFX.

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never unless you are a retard. they fire so far away from you that you have to be an idiot to get shot. you have to try to get shot.

but its all about seeing who can handle the pressure, or who would just fold. weeding out the weak real quick.

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the weak are the guys that are dead

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As stated, "live fire" exercises are not near the killer or crippler that just plain physical challenges are. Live fire is carefully planned to make a lot of noise, and to avoid situations of real danger.

What isn't mentioned so often is the high percentage of candidates who are crippled by training and competition while trying to get into elite military teams. There are thousands who end their military careers due to the extreme damage that the training does to their bodies. Many are killed accidentally as well. Glamorous it is not.

I give all these dudes their due credit, but anyone out there that is contemplating it for a job, should realize that not only do most fail to enter the service, but many end up crippled for life - in fact many who make it in, get crippled outside of actual action as well. But such are the risks you need to be willing to take if this is your job of choice.

No thanks for me, but thank you to those who do.

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