Extensions of Remarks

3660 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS March 7, 1989 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS GAO REPORT REVEALS with my strong recommendation that they ex the school and its superior commands con FAILURES IN NAVY TRAINING ercise strict oversight to make sure the Navy tributed to Mirecki's death. In addition, the complies. initial investigations were flawed, although In a free society, our Military Establishment subsequent investigations produced infor HON. TOBY ROTH mation that allowed action to be taken OF WISCONSIN depends on public trust. In this case, the Navy against those involved. Two later training IN THE HOUSE OF' REPRESENTATIVES failed Lee Mirecki and failed the American reviews helped to improve training safety, people. it is now up to the Navy command to but weaknesses remain. Tuesday, March 7, 1989 restore that trust, so that every American Safety concerns were involved in several Mr. ROTH. Mr. Speaker, 1 year ago, a 19- family whose son or daughter serves in the of the other 16 training-related deaths. The year-old Navy recruit died while undergoing Navy has confidence that they are told the Navy did not always perform the required training at the Navy Flescue Swimmer School truth when a loved one dies-whether in investigations into these deaths. at Pensacola, FL. His name was Lee Mirecki, combat or in training. GAO'S ANALYSIS a young man like many thousands who join The GAO has done a superb job in this in An intimidating atmosphere existed at the our Armed Forces with enthusiasm, idealism vestigation. Their commitment to excellence is rescue swimmer school and a commitment to their country. a shining light for all who serve in Govern Because of command pressure to produce Today, I released the results of an exten ment and I thank them for their hard work. more graduates, the Rescue Swimmer sive GAO investigation of Lee Mirecki's death. [GAO report to congressional requesters, School became less selective of the students The report reveals that Lee Mirecki died be March 1989] it enrolled and increased the importance of cause of serious safety problems, and not in a NAVY TRAINING-SAFETY HAS BEEN IM discouraging voluntary attrition. These fac freak accident, as the Navy claimed. A sum PROVED, BUT MORE STILL NEEDS To BE tors helped to create an intimidating, non As mary of the GAO report follows my remarks. DONE volunteer atmosphere at the school. a result, it enrolled students who had little The GAO also found that safety problems PURPOSE chance of success and then intimidated contributed to at least 5 of the 16 other Navy On March 2, 1988, Airman Recruit Lee them into remaining in the course by re training deaths which occurred during 1986 Mirecki died while undergoing training at minding students of the negative career con through 1988. the Navy's Rescue Swimmer School in Pen sequences that would result if they with In addition, the GAO found defects in Navy sacola, Florida. Since January 1986, 16 other drew. Navy personnel have died while involved in investigation procedures that impede the training activities. Annually, about 800,000 A lack of effective internal controls Navy's ability to correct safety problems. Navy personnel receive formal training. The atmosphere at the school combined Finally, the GAO determined that, contrary The Wisconsin congressional delegation with inadequate internal controls allowed a to the Navy's claim that safety has been re requested that GAO answer the following series of events to occur that led to the stored, in fact much more has to be done to questions: death of Lee Mirecki. improve safety in high risk training. How and why did the Mirecki incident First, Mirecki was not a good candidate The bottom line is that Navy instructors still occur? for rescue swimmer training. He did not vol are not trained to conduct high risk training Has the Navy done enough to see that unteer, did not receive any psychological such an incident cannot reoccur? screening for duty as a rescue swimmer, and and that students still are not screened to How adequately was the Mirecki incident was not a strong swimmer. In addition, he make sure they can handle the dangers. investigated? was not informed that rescue swimmer After months of Navy stonewalling, last Were safety problems present in the other training was required until he arrived at the June I turned to the GAO to find out why Lee Navy training deaths? Aircrew Candidate School. Second, Mirecki Mirecki and the other Navy men had died. BACKGROUND was pressured into remaining in the Rescue Specifically, I wanted to know whether safety Lee Mirecki entered the Navy under a pro Swimmer School after he panicked in his was a problem and whether the Navy was gram that guaranteed him training as an first class. Third, he was allowed to re-enroll properly managing its training. The entire Wis aviation anti-submarine warfare operator. after a flight surgeon had determined that he was not physically qualified. Fourth, the consin congressional delegation endorsed my When he arrived at Aircrew Candidate School after recruit training, he was in instructors forced Mirecki to continue the request. training exercise, despite his pleas to quit. From GAO's report, I conclude that Lee Mir formed that he had to complete the Rescue Swimmer School. Those events occurred because the school ecki's death was a tra~1edy waiting to happen. After panicking during a lifesaving exer did not effectively manage its operations He was not qualified for this dangerous cise, Mirecki decided to withdraw from the and staff. For example, the school did not course, and was confronted with instructors school. He then underwent some medical re adequately supervise and train instructors, who were not properly trained or effectively views to determine his fitness to continue had an inadequate student feedback system, supervised. He was coc:?rced into this high risk the training. Although a flight surgeon de inadequately screened students, and did not termined that he was unfit to continue be have a system for alerting instructors to training because the Navy had a shortage of special student problems. rescue swimmers. cause of a water-related fear, he was re-en rolled in the course. The lack of effective internal controls at The Navy brass had ignored safety prob During the same lifesaving exercise, Mir the school was compounded by inadequate lems at Pensacola for months before Lee Mir ecki again panicked. This time, the instruc command oversight. Higher level commands ecki arrived. TheY. swept reports of problems tors forced him to continue. He became un did not <1 > pay sufficient attention to high under the rug, and did not properly review the conscious, and the instructors removed him attrition and rollback rates, (2) follow up on course of training. from the water and began resuscitation ef injury and medical incidents, (3) establish This GAO report is a catalog of failures by forts. Subsequent medical treatment failed safety audit/inspection responsibilities, and (4) provide adequate curriculum review. the Navy-which led to Lee Mirecki's death to revive him. The cause of death was diagnosed as heart Initial investigations into the Mirecki and others. Today I am transmitting copies of failure brought on by extreme fright, fa this report to the Navy, with a demand that incident were inadequate tigue, and lack of air. This incident led to a The Mirecki incident triggered a number the GAO's findings be implemented without series of investigations and resulted in a va delay. I am also asking that the Navy contact of investigations. The Chief of Naval Air riety of disciplinary actions against 10 indi Training convened a Judge Advocate Gener the families of those who have died in training viduals. al Manual investigation. This initial investi to tell them what really happened. RESULTS IN BRIEF gation was hastily done and narrowly fo I am also transmitting this report to the An intimidating, nonvolunteer atmos cused and did not thoroughly analyze the chairmen of the Armed Services Committees, phere and inadequate internal controls at circumstances of Mirecki's death. e This "bullet" symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. Matter set in ------this typeface indicates words inserted or appended, rather than spoken, by a Member of the House on the floor. March 7,, 1989 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS 3661 A Naval Investigative Service investiga NEW NAVAL HOSPITAL CELEBRATES FIRST most staff members, however, that contribu tion began after a tip was received alleging ANNIVERSARY, PATIENT "BOOM" tion is known only to a few. Greg has been an that the death may have been caused by in <By Robert Dietrich> invaluable advisor, right arm and friend to me. structor misconduct and the Navy was at Capt. Carl Wesolowski, who commands Now he faces even greater challenges. The tempting to cover it up. GAO found that the nation's largest naval medical center, drug epidemic is the most serious problem af the investigation did not sufficiently ad served hamburgers to some of the 3,000- dress the issue of an alleged cover-up and fecting our region. Greg has been asked by member staff of San Diego Naval Hospital our country executive to coordinate all phases contained numerous flaws. yesterday as they celebrated the first anni Navy officials found both investigations to versary of the institution's new $260 million of our local fight against drugs. The future of be inadequate and directed a supplemental facility. so many young people depend on his efforts. Judge Advocate General Manual investiga " It wouldn't have worked without them," I know he is up to this new challenge, and I tion and reopened the Naval Investigative the captain said, "and we are doing things hope all my colleagues will join me in thanking Service investigation.

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