Navy finds SEAL’s death the result of ‘failures across multiple systems’
Mike Brest
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A new Navy investigation triggered by the death of a sailor last year found that the training program for Navy SEALs is plagued by accumulated risk that puts them in harm’s way.
The near-200 page report, which the Navy released on Thursday, concluded that “a near perfect storm of converging factors, factors that accumulated unidentified and unmitigated risk,” resulted in a “high risk” situation “without rigorous oversight and accountability.”
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“At its core, the investigation finds that relentless and continuous self-assessment and self-correction within all departments of NSWC’s BTC is required,” said Rear Adm. Peter Garvin, commander, Naval Education and Training Command. “This investigation identifies risks that aggregated as the result of inadequate oversight, insufficient risk assessment, poor medical command and control, and undetected performance-enhancing drug use; and also offers actionable solutions to mitigate those risks going forward.”
Specifically, investigators concluded there was an “inadequate,” “poorly organized, poorly integrated, and poorly led” medical structure to properly provide necessary medical attention to the high-risk training program.
“The flaws in the medical program likely had the most direct impact on the health and well-being of” trainees, including Kyle Mullen, the sailor who died in February of last year after he completed the infamous “Hell week,” the report found.
T.J. Mullen, Kyle’s brother, said, “From our perspective, many people were involved; many people tried to cover up, committed wrongdoings, and accountability has not come. We’ve been waiting for a year and a half, almost, at this point, since my brother passed, and no one has gotten in trouble,” during a Friday morning appearance on Good Morning America. He added, “We want to make sure people are getting adequate care and not being left to die on the ground. We just need medical to look at these guys. It’s utterly pathetic that they weren’t being taken care of.”
“Hell Week” exposes candidates to extreme stress to simulate similar combat situations, including long periods of swimming in cold water and sleep deprivation, and is one of the toughest parts of becoming a Navy SEAL. Only about one-sixth of students who enter the BUD/S training every year complete it, according to NBC News.
“Our effectiveness as the Navy’s maritime special operations force necessitates demanding, high-risk training,” Rear Adm. Keith Davids, commander, Naval Special Warfare Command, said. “While rigorous and intensely demanding, our training must be conducted with an unwavering commitment to safety and methodical precision. Therefore, in the wake of the tragic loss of Seaman Kyle Mullen, we have taken decisive steps to improve our policies and standard operating procedures. The insights gleaned from the NETC investigation will also further empower us to refine, enhance, and elevate our naval commando training.”
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Mullen, whose first attempt to finish the BUD/S course ended after he got heatstroke, experienced respiratory issues this time around. He had fluid in his lungs, was coughing and had difficulty breathing, gained more than 20 points from swelling and fluid retention, and had to return to the barracks in a wheelchair after completing the program, according to the outlet. Witnesses said they saw him cough up red-tinged fluids and was gasping for air hours before paramedics found him unresponsive.
Investigators from the Naval Special War Command previously found that his death “was in the line of duty” and “not due to his own misconduct,” they said in a statement released last October. Three officers were reprimanded in connection with Mullen’s death.