Military

Marine officer relieved of command just prior to helicopter crashes

News has been released that a Marine commanding officer, Lt. Col. Edward Pavelka, was relieved of command just three days before two CH-53 helicopters crashed into the Pacific Ocean on January 14th. The reason? He had failed to keep operational standards at an acceptable level in the eyes of the commanding general of the 1st Marine Air Wing (MAW). Pavelka had been in command of Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 463 for about 11 months.

This is not good news for anyone, and particularly not good for the families who lost loved ones. To know that negligence could be a major contributing factor in the loss of the 12 Marines involved won’t sit well.

Lt. Col. Eric Purcell replaced Pavelka, and spoke at the memorial service for the fallen Marines. See footage of the service below.

You've reached your daily free article limit.

Subscribe and support our veteran writing staff to continue reading.

Get Full Ad-Free Access For Just $0.50/Week

Enjoy unlimited digital access to our Military Culture, Defense, and Foreign Policy coverage content and support a veteran owned business. Already a subscriber?

News has been released that a Marine commanding officer, Lt. Col. Edward Pavelka, was relieved of command just three days before two CH-53 helicopters crashed into the Pacific Ocean on January 14th. The reason? He had failed to keep operational standards at an acceptable level in the eyes of the commanding general of the 1st Marine Air Wing (MAW). Pavelka had been in command of Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 463 for about 11 months.

This is not good news for anyone, and particularly not good for the families who lost loved ones. To know that negligence could be a major contributing factor in the loss of the 12 Marines involved won’t sit well.

Lt. Col. Eric Purcell replaced Pavelka, and spoke at the memorial service for the fallen Marines. See footage of the service below.

About Nick Coffman View All Posts

Nick is a former United States Marine. He primarily writes about Marine Corps Special Operations as well as digital privacy and security. In his spare time he enjoys hunting and fishing.

COMMENTS

You must become a subscriber or login to view or post comments on this article.

More from SOFREP

REAL EXPERTS.
REAL NEWS.

Join SOFREP for insider access and analysis.

TRY 14 DAYS FREE

Already a subscriber? Log In