Navy censures five officers involved in deadly 2020 amphibious ship sinking

The Navy has censured three Marine Corps officers and two Navy officers for their roles in the deadly amphibious assault vehicle (AAV) tragedy in southern California in July 2020. 

The letters of censure issued to the five officers by Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro serve as a public rebuke of their actions before and during the accident, which resulted in the death of eight Marines and one sailor. 

“When leaders’ actions or inactions result in the loss of life or capital resources, the senior leadership of the Department of the Navy has a responsibility to determine the root cause and hold those accountable,” Del Toro said in a message sent to the Department of the Navy on June 2.  

“Following a thorough review of the command investigations into the AAV sinking, these officers received [Secretarial Letters of Censure] due to their inadequate leadership and execution of their oversight duties,” he added.  

The letters were issued to retired Marine Lt. Gen. Joseph Osterman, the former commanding general of the I Marine Expeditionary Force; Marine Col. Christopher Bronzi, former commanding officer of the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit; Navy Capt. Stewart Bateshansky, former commander of the Amphibious Task Force; Navy Capt. John Kurtz, former commanding officer of the USS Somerset amphibious transport dock; and Marine Lt. Col. Keith Brenize, former commanding officer of the 3rd Assault Amphibian Battalion. 

The nine service members were killed on July 30, 2020, when their AAV quickly sank in 385 feet of water off the coast of San Clemente Island while training with the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit. 

The vehicle — which can weigh roughly 26 tons and was carrying 16 people — sank after it began to take on water while traveling from the island to its transport dock ship after an exercise.  

The vessel was one of several that experienced mechanical problems on the island, and as it tried to return, its transmission failed. Water then began to fill the vehicle, but its commander, Lt. Col. Michael Regner, waited too long to order service members to evacuate.  

A Marine Corps investigation later found that poor vehicle maintenance, inadequate training and bad judgment by leaders led to the sinking of the vehicle, one of the deadliest military training accidents in decades. 

The investigation also found that Regner — who was relieved from command in October 2020 as a result of the accident — should have known the vehicles were unsound and should not have been used in the ocean.   

The five other reprimands, several of which were expected, come after an administrative panel reviewed 6,000 pages of investigative reports and evidence.