On Friday, military ships and helicopters searched rough seas for the missing amid moderate to strong winds. The Navy-owned island is approximately 70 miles off San Diego.
“We are deeply saddened by this tragic incident. I ask you to keep our Marines, Sailors and their families in your prayers as we continue our research, ”Col. Christopher Bronzi, unit commander, said in another Marines tweet. .
The Marine Expeditionary Force is the primary combat organization of the Marine Corps. There are three of these groups, made up of ground, air and logistics forces.
Thursday’s crash marks the third time in less than a decade that Camp Pendleton Marines have been injured or died in amphibious assault vehicles during training exercises.
In 2017, 14 Marines and a Navy sailor were hospitalized after their amphibious assault vehicle struck a natural gas line, causing a fire that engulfed the landing craft during a training exercise.
And in 2011, a Marine died when an amphibious assault vehicle during a training exercise sank off the shores of Camp Pendleton.
The Marines use amphibious assault vehicles to transport troops and their equipment from Navy ships to land. They are nicknamed “amtracs” because the original name of the vehicle was “amphibious tractor”.
Armored vehicles equipped with machine guns and grenade launchers resemble tanks as they roll ashore for beach attacks, with Marines coming out to take up position.
