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File: 980715_may96_sagwi1_0016.txt
Subject = COLLATERAL INVESTIGATION 22 DEC 90
Box ID = BX001415
Folder title = COLLATERAL INVESTIGATION 2
Unit = 24TH ID
Parent = XVIII CORPS
AFZP-VJA 17 December 1990
MEMORANDUM THRU ACofS, GI, G!
FOR CG
SUBJECT: Status of Collateral Investigation Into Destruction of MI
Tank Assigned to 3/69 AR (Bumper #A68)
1. My office has related to the investigating officer your direction
to complete the investigation.within 48 hours. For the reasons which
follow, I recommend that you grant an extension until 21 Dec 90 to
ensure that the investigation will be sufficient for both your action
and for forwarding to FORSCOM as required by FORSCOM Reg 15-1:
a. The investigating officer, MAJ Diehl (1/64 AR), is currently in
the port of Dammam with the other elements of his unit that are
undergoing transition to the MIA1. MAJ Diehl is currently the senior
officer present in 1/64 AR; the other members of the battalion command
and staff have departed the NET site for a briefing at D-Main, taking
with them the only available organic transportation. MAJ Diehl
indicated that he has been placed in charge of 1/64 AR until the
battalion commander returns and given the circumstances will not be
able to return until tomorrow evening. MAJ Diehl indicated that he
would be able to complete the report within 72 hours after he returns
@to the 1/64 AR tactical site.
b. The actions taken thus far by MAJ Diehl includes interviews of
all the members of the A#66 tank crew. However, these statements need
to be transcribed and sworn. The transcription is currently taking
place.
C. Additional testimony needs to be obtained from a witness who can
offer expert opinion as to the likely cause of the fire, since
materiel failure is believed to have been at least a contributing
cause. Ordinarily, this type of expert opinion would be available as
factual information which could be released from the Safety
investigation - usually in the form of tear down analysis. However, my
office has been informed that any tear down analysis will not be
completed until after #AG6 is returned to CONUS. However, AMC
dispatched a maintenance expert to the accident site and MAJ Diehl will
need to obtain testimony from this expert to substantiate the likely
cause of any materiel failure.
d. In addition, pictures of A#66 should be made an exhibit to the
report of investigation (ROI). As you may be aware, the tank could not
be approached until after the team from AMC arrived in theater,
inspected the tank and ensured that the depleted uranium rounds were
not a safety (radiation) hazard. When the team cleared the tank on 15
Dec, the Safety Officer (LTC Palmer) took several Polaroid pictures of
the tank and the AMC team may have taken additional photographs. MAJ
Diehl will need to obtain copies of the AMC photographs (Polaroid
photos cannot be copied within a reasonable amount of time) and add
these photographs to the ROI.
AFZP-VJA 17 December 1990
MEMORANDUM THRU ACofS, GI, G!
FOR CG
SUBJECT: Status of Collateral Investigation Into Destruction of MI
Tank Assigned to 3/69 AR (Bumper #A68)
1. My office has related to the investigating officer your direction
to complete the investigation.within 48 hours. For the reasons which
follow, I recommend that you grant an extension until 21 Dec 90 to
ensure that the investigation will be sufficient for both your action
and for forwarding to FORSCOM as required by FORSCOM Reg 15-1:
a. The investigating officer, MAJ Diehl (1/64 AR), is currently in
the port of Dammam with the other elements of his unit that are
undergoing transition to the MIA1. MAJ Diehl is currently the senior
officer present in 1/64 AR; the other members of the battalion command
and staff have departed the NET site for a briefing at D-Main, taking
with them the only available organic transportation. MAJ Diehl
indicated that he has been placed in charge of 1/64 AR until the
battalion commander returns and given the circumstances will not be
able to return until tomorrow evening. MAJ Diehl indicated that he
would be able to complete the report within 72 hours after he returns
@to the 1/64 AR tactical site.
b. The actions taken thus far by MAJ Diehl includes interviews of
all the members of the A#66 tank crew. However, these statements need
to be transcribed and sworn. The transcription is currently taking
place.
C. Additional testimony needs to be obtained from a witness who can
offer expert opinion as to the likely cause of the fire, since
materiel failure is believed to have been at least a contributing
cause. Ordinarily, this type of expert opinion would be available as
factual information which could be released from the Safety
investigation - usually in the form of tear down analysis. However, my
office has been informed that any tear down analysis will not be
completed until after #AG6 is returned to CONUS. However, AMC
dispatched a maintenance expert to the accident site and MAJ Diehl will
need to obtain testimony from this expert to substantiate the likely
cause of any materiel failure.
d. In addition, pictures of A#66 should be made an exhibit to the
report of investigation (ROI). As you may be aware, the tank could not
be approached until after the team from AMC arrived in theater,
inspected the tank and ensured that the depleted uranium rounds were
not a safety (radiation) hazard. When the team cleared the tank on 15
Dec, the Safety Officer (LTC Palmer) took several Polaroid pictures of
the tank and the AMC team may have taken additional photographs. MAJ
Diehl will need to obtain copies of the AMC photographs (Polaroid
photos cannot be copied within a reasonable amount of time) and add
these photographs to the ROI.
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