<ul class="summary-list"><li>The <keyword id="108651" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Marine-Corps">Marine Corps</keyword> has released the investigation into the <keyword id="155708" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="AAV">AAV</keyword> that sank and killed nine last summer.</li><li>The investigation shows that failure after failure led to tragedy.</li><li>At one point, troops used phones to open the escape hatch because the emergency lights were out.</li></ul>The US Marine Corps assault amphibious vehicle (AAV) accident last summer that killed nine service members was a disaster, one in which failure after failure led to tragedy, a newly-released investigation has revealed.A lot of things went wrong. At one point, just minutes before the vehicle sank, troops on board were using their cell phones as flashlights to try and open one of the escape hatches because the emergency lighting system wasn't working. That was just one of many problems the investigation found.An AAV is a heavy fully-tracked amphibious landing vehicle commonly known as an "amtrac" or "track" that transports as many as two dozen troops between ships at sea and shore.Last July, an AAV assigned to Bravo Company, Battalion Landing Team 1st Battalion, 4th Marines, part of the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, sank off the coast of California as it returned to the amphibious transport dock USS Somerset from San Clemente Island.The mishap vehicle was carrying three AAV crewmembers, 12 Marines, and one Navy corpsman. Eight embarked Marines and the Navy sailor died, making this incident the deadliest AAV training accident in the vehicle's history.In the aftermath, the Marine Corps grounded its entire fleet of AAVs as it launched an investigation into exactly what happened. Waterborne operations have yet to resume.The commander of US Marine Corps Pacific blamed the <keyword id="156658" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Sinking">sinking</keyword> and the resulting deaths on "a confluence of human and mechanical failures" in a statement attached to the investigation. He added that "this tragic mishap was preventable."<div type="image" title="Marines board an amphibious assault vehicle" height="667" width="1000" msid="81698332" hostid="261"></div><h2>'Human and mechanical failures'</h2>The command investigation found that the accident was caused by maintenance failures, delayed evacuation orders, and a failure to properly train embarked personnel on AAV safety procedures, among other issues.As the 26-ton amphibious vehicle returned to the Somerset following a shore exercise on July 30, water was leaking into the hull of the AAV from multiple locations. All AAVs leak, but more water than normal was leaking in due to various maintenance failings.Around 5:30 p.m. local time, the rear crewman informed the vehicle commander that the water inside the AAV had reached the deck plate. The commander is said to have replied: "Thanks for letting me know."Standard operating procedure is that embarked personnel prepare for water operations when water hits the deck plate. Evacuation should begin when water reaches boot ankle level, but that did not happen and the results were fatal.In addition to multiple watertight integrity failures, the vehicle also suffered several other serious mechanical failures, from the transmission to the generator, which impacted the four bilge pumps in place to push water out of the vehicle. The communications system was also affected.When water hit boot ankle level, the vehicle commander began waving the November flag, a blue and white banner signaling that a waterborne vehicle is in distress and in need of immediate assistance, but no order to evacuate was given, the investigation said.As for the embarked personnel who were riding in the back, the investigation said that they "were not trained appropriately and did not realize how dire the situation was ... when the water was at boot ankle level."Not only did they not receive a proper safety briefing prior to waterborne operations, but the investigation also found that many of the embarked troops had not completed the necessary training to know how to exit the vehicle in an emergency.The commander waved the blue and white distress flag for 20 minutes but did not make use of the pyrotechnic signaling options available.Due to a miscommunication, there were no safety boats nor support AAVs in the water at the time of the accident, though two other AAVs did eventually maneuver to assist. By around 6:05 p.m., water in the AAV was about calf-high, and the rear crewman was recommending evacuation to the vehicle commander. The order to open the starboard cargo hatch and start evacuation did not come until water hit the bench seats.Troops in the back moved to open the cargo hatch on top, but things did not go smoothly due to a lack of training and decreased visibility. It was "extremely dark" inside the AAV.The command investigation said that the "embarked personnel were using personal cell phones as a lighting source due to the Emergency Egress Lighting System not functioning and the fact that no chemical lights had been used to mark the hatch handles." The EELS had been inexplicably disabled.By the time they got the hatch open and started getting people out, the AAV was only about six inches out of the water, leaving it extremely vulnerable. Making matters worse, an assisting AAV ran into the mishap vehicle, knocking it sideways.When a wave washed over the struggling AAV, water came pouring in through the open hatch, flooding the vehicle.Some troops were standing on the bench seats that run along the inside of the vehicle when "the force of the water rushing in knocked all personnel off their feet," leaving troops inside shocked and disoriented, the investigation said.Minutes later, around 6:15 p.m., the vehicle, which had been sinking slowly for about 45 minutes, tilted up and slipped beneath the surface, plunging to a depth of 385 feet.All but one service member made it out of the AAV, but seven troops who made it out drowned before reaching the surface. One service member made it to the surface but died of drowning injuries.The command investigation said that all of the deceased service members were wearing body armor. Some troops appear to have tried to remove their gear, but the life preserver negatively impacted those efforts.For those that never made it to the surface, the life preservers were less effective at depth, especially given the excess weight troops were carrying.The service members who died when their vehicle sank last summer were Lance Cpl. Guillermo Perez, Pfc. Bryan Baltierra, Lance Cpl. Marco Barranco, Pfc. Evan Bath, Pfc. Jack Ryan Ostrovsky, Cpl. Wesley Rodd, Lance Cpl. Chase Sweetwood, and Cpl. Cesar Villanueva, and Hospitalman Christopher Gnem.The Marine Corps said in a statement Thursday that their loss continues to be felt across the service.<div type="image" title="Marines aboard amphibious assault vehicle prepare for an amphibious assault." height="616" width="822" msid="81698333" hostid="261"></div><h2>'Tragic mishap was preventable'</h2>The I Marine Expeditionary Force commander said in a statement that "this entire mishap could have been averted and lives saved if the vehicle commander had followed [standard operating procedures] and ordered the embarked personnel to take off their gear and evacuate the mishap AAV at the appropriate time."But, there were problems at other levels as well. He noted that at the platoon level "discipline and combat effectiveness were seriously compromised."The Marine Corps has already removed the senior commanders of BLT 1st Battalion, 4th Marines and the 15th MEU. The commander of Bravo Company has also been fired. Unspecified disciplinary action has also been recommended for some others in the chain of command.In the wake of the deadly accident last summer, the Corps adjusted the inspection standards for its AAVs. It also halted all AAV waterborne operations until the entire fleet of roughly 800 vehicles could be inspected. The investigation said that "a majority of the AAVs failed to meet the new inspection criteria."The AAV that sank and killed eight Marines and a sailor was not the only vehicle that encountered troubles during last summer's training exercise.A little over a dozen AAVs were involved in the training. One had to be left on the ship because it was inoperable, another had to be picked up from San Clemente Island by a Landing Craft Air Cushion after it malfunctioned, and one lost the ability to maneuver and had to be towed back to the island.An inspection of the participating vehicles after the accident found that most were in "poor condition."One Marine veteran Insider spoke to previously about the problems with AAVs said that the vehicles "are <keyword id="6355784" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="death">death</keyword> traps and need to be updated if not completely eradicated from the Marine Corps."Marine Corps officials insist the vehicles are safe as long as procedures are properly followed.The Corps is in the process of phasing out its AAVs and replacing them with the new Amphibious Combat Vehicle (ACV). The service is also making dozens of changes to the way it maintains and operates amphibious vehicles to make sure that nothing like what happened last summer happens again.

US troops had to use their phones as flashlights to try to escape a sinking assault amphibious vehicle that killed 9 of them

<ul><li>Advertising and Media Insider introduces you to its latest property, The Influencer Adda, where we speak to social media stars and trace back their journeys.</li><li>In our third episode, we speak to a Youth Icon, whose journey is an inspiration to everyone who dreams to do something out-of-the-box -- <keyword id="4700187" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="ashish-chanchlani">Ashish Chanchlani</keyword>. </li><li>Ashish has been ruling <keyword id="10879" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="YouTube">YouTube</keyword> with his unique content. He is the second-most subscribed <keyword id="2803176" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="YouTuber">YouTuber</keyword> and recently crossed 23 million subscribers. </li><li>We speak to the social media star on his journey so far, vision board, fighting through depression, favourite jingle and much more! </li></ul>Social media star Ashish Chanchlani, who is the second-most subscribed YouTuber and recently crossed 23 million subscribers, started creating content 6 years ago when becoming a YouTuber wasn’t really considered a ‘serious career’ option. Despite studying to be a Civil Engineer, he always wanted to become an actor. He gave up his dream when he realised the chances of becoming a Bollywood star with no contacts are quite slim. He stumbled upon Twitter’s Vine app in 2014 and started exploring the medium. “I never thought my vine would go viral and it would become this ‘big’. I started vining as a hobby, as if it was a co-curricular activity. Soon, my videos started going viral all over the internet, people started tagging me and my Instagram page shot up. From there, I came on Facebook and then YouTube -- and it has been a crazy journey,” says Ashish, with pure modesty and disbelief. <div type="Video" msid="80654353" hostid="261" title="Social media star Ashish Chanchlani on becoming the second-most subscribed YouTuber in India" dataSource="BUSINESSINSIDER" thumbUrl="https://denmark.timesinternet.in/cmslite/api/app/images.jpg?msid=80654353"></div> Ashish’s journey hasn’t been all glamour and shine. He paved the way that took him to the limelight. He believes it was his relatable, unique and fresh content that brought him to the forefront. At 23 million subscribers today, he still cringes when someone calls him an ‘influencer.’ He likes to be called an ‘entertainer.’ Walking us through some of the hurdles he faced, Ashish shares, “I did face a lot of problems. People would often joke about YouTube. “Who the hell does YouTube?” they would ask me. That was also this path’s biggest strength. It wasn’t as popular in India but I knew that it would rise. My relatives would tell my parents that I am making the biggest mistake of my life. I did not pay any heed to these comments and kept doing what I love. I was one of the first few people in India to make funny vines. My videos were quite unprofessionally-shot, with a weird background but that played to my strengths because people related with me, my journey and what I had to offer. They would see themselves in me.” One fine day, when he was with his parents and a fan walked up to him and asked for a selfie was when he realised he’s becoming popular. For actors who claim to not like taking selfies with their fans, he says, “They are lying. Everybody loves attention.” As a fellow Spiderman fan, Ashish also thinks that with great power comes great responsibility. “There was a time when I was making anything that I would stumble upon. Now I look back and realise that I’ve made some mistakes. Now you would notice a sense of responsibility in my content. Today, I make sure we create content that feels right. We exaggerate just for fun,” he says. Ashish recently launched a short film called The Dealer, which is out of his comfort zone. It was about creating a safe environment for women in India. In 2021, he wants to experiment with new genres and challenge himself to do more and more. He had also launched a horror short film called Office Exam last year, as a part of his unique series called ‘ACV Hatke.’ He is also content with his growth trajectory so far and has found his way of dealing with minor setbacks and disappointments. “I was happy even when 5,000 people were watching my videos. You walk into a room full of 5,000 people and you realise that it is a huge number! My most watched video on YouTube has 9 crore views. That’s crazy, isn’t it? 9 crore is more than the winning prize in KBC (Kaun Banega Crorepati),” says Ashish, laughing out loud. He now takes his time to churn out videos. Ashish told us that he and his team spend around 20 days to create a video. While he is experimenting with new formats, he would always stick to comedy and deliver what the audience wants. “I find it very tiring to beat my last video. It is difficult to meet the expectations every time. I feel I don’t want to disappoint my fans with any of my videos. This happened after my Office Exam video. This ‘what next’ question always pressurises me. I am branching out now but you always have to revisit what made you who you are,” agrees Ashish. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Surviving a pandemic as an entertainer and working with brands in India" text="Surviving a pandemic as an entertainer and working with brands in India">Surviving a pandemic as an entertainer and working with brands in India</cmsannotation> While dealing with the pandemic has been difficult for most of us, for someone who makes the entire country laugh, it is important to stay motivated and optimistic -- to keep your worries aside to make others laugh. As an extrovert who loves staying around people, Ashish did see a minor setback during the lockdown. He found it difficult to keep going but then, he started having one-on-one conversations with his fans to bounce back. “A dark phase came into my life in 2020. I got affected by all the trolls and toxicity on the internet. I think that also happened because I was idle. I came across very negative comments from last year and it still hurts to read them because these people pull me down out of spite or jealousy. I couldn’t understand the motive behind these trolls, so I lost myself in this negativity. However, what kept me motivated were my fans. They would talk to me like I am their old friend. That was also one of my biggest highlights and strengths in 2020,” shares Ashish. Star Sports was the first brand Ashish ever worked with and even today, brands reach out to him with abrupt briefs such as ‘Kuch viral bana do, Ashish.’ To these brands who approach him to just buy his ‘30 seconds’, he replies, “Things are different now. This (branded content) is not a TV ad. People don’t like watching ads anymore, doesn’t matterhow much money you put in. So give us the chance to marry the brand into our content, twist it and mould it in a way that we could present it to the audience. We can’t guarantee viral ads. We do guarantee viral content that would include their brand.” On his screening process of selecting brands, he jokes, “I want money.” After a few seconds of laughter, he says, “I want the brand to marry me rather than making it a business proposal. Most of the creators don’t talk to the brand after they are done with the content but I like to maintain a dialogue and get their feedback. I also ask them if they profited off my video and if they liked it or not. And brands are really happy by that. At the end of the day, they are also running a business.” Ashish looks up to Fevicol for its advertising and marketing. He fell in love with Fevicol’s TV idea and likes the mystery they build. “I have pitched similar ideas to my brands. I tell them that the audience shouldn’t know until the end what brand is involved behind the ad. They should just be left with the idea and what the product sells, not the product name. They should wonder, “Who is the brand? Kya ad banai hai?” <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Advice for budding creators" text="Advice for budding creators">Advice for budding creators </cmsannotation> Ashish has been in the content creation industry when it was just a baby in our country. His advice to budding creators is - Be Yourself. To those who are trying to break the clutter today, he says, “Study the market first and find out what people are liking and talking about. Today, something as random as ‘Binod’ starts trending. Give them something relatable but in your own style. Don’t try to be the next Ashish Chanchalni or CarryMinati. You won’t be able to replicate anyone. Be yourself because you have your own strengths and style. Mirror the environment you live in. If you live in a village that isn’t covered in the mainstream media, we don’t know what kind of comedy your society likes. Bring that for the entire country and they will love it.”

I was happy even with 5,000 views: Ashish Chanchlani on becoming the second-most subscribed YouTuber in India

The IT players in India have been doing good in the past few years and are reportedly growing while steadily increasing their share in <keyword id="3951630" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="global-IT-outsourcing">global IT outsourcing</keyword>. Now with $116 billion worth of IT contracts coming up for renewal in 2017 and the growing trend towards splitting up <keyword id="116669" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="large-deals">large deals</keyword>, the companies can look forward to some more gains in the coming year. 
 The top five players in the sector account for $20 billion, the big five <keyword id="157891" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="American-companies">American companies</keyword> (<keyword id="10875" type="CITY" weightage="80" keywordseo="IBM">IBM</keyword>, Accenture, CSC, HP , Xerox) account for $29 billion, and the top four <keyword id="513987" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="European-firms">European firms</keyword> (Capgemini, Atos, BT, T-Systems) account for $17 billion. The remaining is split among a host of other smaller global and Indian providers, according to data from IT advisory firm ISG. 
 
The trends that have the potential to change the way the contracts have till now been distributed are customers are tending to split large contracts -those in the $1-billion range -into smaller deals. Indian companies have traditionally been weak in the large contract space. So, any split should work to their advantage. The other trend is the increasing digital scope of deals -cloud, analytics and automation are becoming key parts of IT contracts coming up for renegotiation. This also reduces the total contract value (TCV) available on these deals. 
 
"While the net impact of this trend may not be accurately estimated, we expect that this would result in ACV (average contract value) drop of 2030% depending on the nature of deals and possibility of inclusion of disruptive solutions like cloud and automation," Dinesh Goel, head of ISG, told ET. 
 
This means Indian IT services' gains will depend to a great extent on how well they have adapted to the new digital world in comparison to their global peers.

IT companies look forward to $116 billion contracts in 2017

Marred by high cost of input and gloomy consumer sentiment in the real estate sector, it may be a dull Diwali for the industry players in the property market. According to a study by industry body <keyword id="6355988" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Assocham">ASSOCHAM</keyword>, there has been 30% increase in the launch of new residential projects every quarter this year, which has resulted in the inventory further going up by 6.7% in the same period. 
	 
	“After four consecutive quarters of muted launches, such activities showed improvement at the country level. Ahead of general elections, developers had launched many projects to gain competitive advantage and, at the same time, anticipated a recovery in market conditions post-polls,” suggested the study done by the industry body and global real estate services firm Jones Lang LaSalle. 
	 
	However, the launches did not really pick up post elections as residential property buyers took a cautious approach. “While there was an improvement in new launches, sales continued to remain low despite developers offering attractive pricing schemes and discounts to attract buyers,” stated the study. 
	 
	The survey has also projected that in the current fiscal year, the growth will be slower between 4% and 8% in Tier-1 cities. Nevertheless, the capital values in cities such as Pune, Kolkata and Hyderabad may grow at a comparatively faster pace, considering their low floor prices. 
	 
	“Developers in Tier-1 cities likely to continue liquidate their stocks by offering good pre-launch and pricing promotions,” revealed the study. 
	In terms of the prices, the residential property price across the country is expected to grow at 10% to 12% in 2014 considering the fact that inflation is still high in the country. 
	 
	“Liquidity and high level of leverage remain big issues with the real estate developers. These two issues can ultimately get resolved with pick up in the economy and a smart recovery in demand for housing units. But there is a lag between improvement in macro picture and its impact on the real estate market, particularly in the residential segment which is highly sensitive to the interest rates and the job market, which needs to be robust for the demand rebound,” said D S Rawat, secretary general of ASSOCHAM. 
	 
	In terms of return on investment, the average capital values of residential properties in the top seven markets have been steadily recovering since 2009. “Since the trough in second half of 2009-10, Mumbai has led the increase in average capital value (ACV) with nearly 59% growth, followed by Bangalore with 43.5% rise in ACV and the NCR-Delhi 33.9%. In the case of Chennai, it was 41.09% while it was only 25.2% for Hyderabad. However, Kolkata and Pune have been major movers, showing appreciation of 50.7% and 47.8 per cent respectively during this period”, added the study.

No Takers For Property: Dark Diwali Ahead For Real-Estate Players?

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Nine service members died this summer when a <keyword id="108651" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Marine-Corps">Marine Corps</keyword> <keyword id="10103044" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="amphibious-assault-vehicle">amphibious assault vehicle</keyword> sank off the coast of California during a training exercise. It was the deadliest training <keyword id="6354769" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="60" keywordseo="accident">accident</keyword> in the vehicle's decades-long history.</li><li>The Corps is investigating why the AAV sank and why so many troops lost their lives when it did. Though the investigation is still ongoing, the commanding officer of the unit involved has been relieved of his command.</li><li><keyword id="53136" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="marine">Marine</keyword> veterans told Insider that it can be extremely difficult to get everyone out of a rapidly <keyword id="156658" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Sinking">sinking</keyword> vehicle because the vehicles are sometimes overcrowded and the escape routes are not always reliable.</li><li>When the vehicle goes under, Marines in full gear brace themselves as the AAV fills with water. When the vehicle steadies, they open the hatches and swim to the surface on only the air in their lungs, shedding their gear when they can, a current Marine involved in egress training explained.</li><li>Any hitch in that process, such as an escape hatch that won't open or a stuck Marine, could be disastrous. One Marine veteran said that the heavy tracked amphibious vehicles are "death traps."</li><li>The Corps has suspended all AAV waterborne operations until the investigation concludes and declined to comment on whether it believes AAVs are currently safe. </li></ul>A sinking Marine Corps amphibious assault vehicle is a "death trap" because of how hard it can be to get everyone out alive, Marine veterans told Insider after a deadly incident this summer.Several former Marines said that the ways the aging AAVs are designed and operated make it "tough" to get a full load of Marines out in a crisis. If it sinks, troops in heavy combat gear have to hold their breath and climb out of a flooded vehicle through narrow, hard-to-open hatches. The escape plans for the often overcrowded vehicles appear problematic at best and at worst, disasters waiting to happen.AAVs rarely sink and fatal mishaps are uncommon for the 26-ton tracked vehicles made to move Marines from warships at sea to shore under fire, but tragedy struck in late July when an amphibious vehicle <a href="https://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/your-marine-corps/2020/07/31/what-we-know-about-thursdays-aav-accident/">sank rapidly</a> to a depth of 385 feet off the coast of southern California during a training exercise.The Marine Corps says that its AAVs can hold roughly two dozen troops, but they look like they could only reasonably hold about half that. The vehicle that sank in July was pretty packed, carrying 16 service members at the time of the accident.<a href="https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Releases/Release/Article/2298273/department-of-defense-statement-on-the-loss-of-nine-service-members-off-califor/">Eight Marines and a Navy sailor died</a>. Most appear to have <a href="https://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/your-marine-corps/2020/08/04/corps-locates-sunken-aav-with-remains-of-missing-marines-on-board/">never made it out of the drowning vehicle</a>. The <a href="https://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/your-marine-corps/2020/08/21/julys-accident-that-killed-9-is-the-deadliest-aav-incident-in-marine-corps-history/">incident was the deadliest</a> training accident in the history of the Corps' amphibious assault vehicles.The tragedy shook the Corp's confidence in its AAVs, with the commandant suspending waterborne operations pending the outcome of an ongoing investigation. The Corps also <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/marine-corps-fires-commander-over-deadly-amphibious-assault-vehicle-accident-2020-10">fired the commander of the unit involved</a> in the accident."Until the investigation is complete, we don't know if the causal factors were related to the vehicle, the procedures, the training, the environment, or some combination of these," the Corps told Insider, declining to comment on whether or not it believes its AAVs are safe.What exactly happened to the AAV that sank this summer is still unclear, but what is clear is that a sinking AAV is dangerous, and in some cases, deadly.<div type="image" title="Marines board an amphibious assault vehicle" height="667" width="1000" msid="78720447" hostid="261"></div><h2>'Torture chamber'</h2>AAVs, sometimes called "tracks" or "amtracs," are rough rides even when they aren't filling up with water and sinking, current and former Marines told Insider.The Marines, who enter through a large ramp that lets down in the back, are tightly packed inside the 26-foot-long armored vehicle like sardines. It's loud, it's tough to breathe, it smells of exhaust and diesel fumes, and it is not uncommon to see infantrymen vomit from motion sickness or panic from claustrophobia as the windowless hull rocks in the water."I've had my fair share of people freaking out in the back of an amtrac," Sgt. Juan Torres, an AAV section leader, told Insider during a visit to Camp Pendleton earlier this year. "They don't even know they're claustrophobic, and next thing you know, they're freaking out, screaming, 'I need air, I need air.'"Nate Eckman, a Marine infantryman who left the Corps a few years ago, told Insider that riding inside an AAV is "one of the worst memories" he has from his time in the service."It was awful being cramped, sucking in diesel fuel, and feeling claustrophobia I didn't even know I had," Eckman recalled. "People fight. They get nauseous and puke in the back. You're enclosed inside the whole time, and you have no idea where you are or if you have ten more minutes or five more hours."Eckman acknowledged that AAVs are effective for making Marines amphibious, but he also said that an AAV is a "torture chamber" for troops riding inside. "I watched guys break," Eckman said, explaining that disdain for the AAV was fairly common among the Marine infantry.<div type="image" title="Marines aboard amphibious assault vehicle prepare for an amphibious assault." height="633" width="845" msid="78720451" hostid="261"></div><h2>'Brace yourself'</h2>The Corps has been relying on AAVs since the 1970s. They require a lot of work to maintain and operate, and sometimes, things go wrong inexplicably. "You can do everything perfectly, and then, the moment you roll out, something goes wrong," Torres said. "If everything is going smoothly, you should be worried."The fully-armed ship-to-shore troop transports deploy from amphibious warships and are propelled by jets and spinning tracks. In the water, AAVs maintain a very low profile, with most of the vehicle already below the waterline.The AAV that sank in late July is believed to have <a href="https://www.military.com/daily-news/2020/08/03/marine-aav-hit-rough-seas-rapidly-took-water-sinking.html">hit rough seas and taken on more water</a> than the pumps could handle, possibly causing the vehicle to sink.Marines who conduct amphibious operations with AAVs have to go through some variation of the submerged vehicle egress training to prepare for the possibility that their vehicle will sink at sea. The training involves sitting Marines in a simulated AAV hull and dropping it into a pool."The infantry training was like a four-hour day at a pool," Eckman said. "You get in this plexiglass container that represents the body of a track. You sit in it, you float three feet above the water, and then they drop it in."He said that he did not feel the training adequately prepared him for an actual emergency. For example, "you're not carrying the normal amount of equipment you normally would," he said. "You're in a very light state." It is less gear, less people, less of the things that make egress a challenge.The former Marine said that "there are almost no elements that I think would be present in a real drowning scenario," explaining that he remembers going through the training and thinking that it "feels very ineffective."As a Marine, Eckman actually had to bail out of a sinking AAV. Fortunately, the vehicle sank slowly in calm waters, so everyone was able to get out. While a slow-sinking track is easier to escape, it is still a danger because of how quickly and unexpectedly the situation can change.If an AAV sinks rapidly, the egress "procedure is to brace yourself when the vehicle goes underwater and wait until the violent motion stops" before exiting the vehicle, explained Gunnery Sgt. Michael Pena, a curriculum chief at the Assault Amphibian School.Basically, the Marines, who have access to neither seatbelts nor supplemental breathing devices, cling to their bench seats and hold their positions until the vehicle fills with water and steadies."You have to brace yourself and know where you are in the vehicle," Pena said, emphasizing that "you do not want to disorient yourself when the vehicle goes under."Underwater, "there are no commands coming from any of the vehicle crew or anyone else," Pena explained. "Marines are expected to do what they need to do to exit the vehicle." In that moment, Marines must fend for themselves in the chaos.Undoubtedly stressed and holding their breath in the bright green glow of the emergency egress lighting system, the troops, in full gear but supported by a life preserver, must try to escape the sunken AAV by way of a handful of hatches, assuming they open as intended. They then swim to the surface with only the air in their lungs, shedding their gear when they can."Getting out of the vehicle is your primary goal," Pena said, explaining that the next step is for troops to get to the surface as quickly and efficiently as possible. "The more motion you are doing in the water while not breathing is just going to burn oxygen," he said.The escape plan was simple, Eckman recalled. "Hold, stay calm, and try to hold your breath long enough to get out and come up."But, as their vehicle sinks, Marines are unlikely to be calm, and the increased adrenaline will increase oxygen demand, reducing the amount of time they can hold their breath.There is also the issue of the hatches through which troops are expected to escape. Marine veterans say they can be difficult to deal with normally and become even more challenging underwater. And, even if they do open, getting out is still anything but easy.Jacob Aronen, a Marine veteran familiar with AAVs, <a href="https://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/your-marine-corps/2020/07/31/what-we-know-about-thursdays-aav-accident/">told Marine Corps Times</a> that the top hatches, the primary egress points, "often have handles that are so stiff you need to beat them with a hammer to open."Aronen further explained that it would be tougher to open the heavy hatches on a sinking vehicle because of the water pressure. Marine veterans that talked to Insider raised similar concerns.Open, the hatches are not very wide, so "if you have your gear on, it is very difficult to get out of them in a rush," Tagen Schmidt, a Marine veteran who was badly burned when his amtrac caught fire, told Insider. Schmidt was one of 15 service members who were injured when his AAV burst into flames.Were a service member in full gear with an inflated life preserver to get stuck exiting the vehicle, he would block the way for those behind him. An injured Marine could have the same effect.There are procedures to get Marines out of the vehicles, but a single hitch in the process could mean the difference between a safe egress and a deadly catastrophe.<div type="image" title="A U.S. Marine Corps amphibious assault vehicle charges through the surf at the Marine Corps Base Hawaii during the multi-national military exercise RIMPAC in Kaneohe, Hawaii, July 9, 2014. REUTERS/Hugh Gentry" height="521" width="800" msid="78720453" hostid="261"></div><h2>'Design flaws'</h2>"If [an AAV] is designed to allow for the egress of a dozen plus combat-loaded Marines in an extreme scenario, that is not obvious to me at all," Eckman said, adding that he believes the Corps is overcrowding its vehicles.Thinking about the deadly incident in July, he asked, "How many Marines had to be on that AAV for it not to be a fatal accident? Do we have policies that essentially cause overcrowding? Was the actual cause of death overcrowding because there were just too many people on there?""The space is tight," Eckman said. "You are literally piling people on top of each other."Bud Colby, a former Marine amtracker, told Insider that the challenge of getting everyone out of a fast-sinking AAV is "one of those known design flaws.""Twenty-six tons are going to sink quick," he said, explaining that "you physically can't get the people out in time, and that ties back to the design of the vehicle."Altogether, an AAV has six hatches. There are two cargo hatches, a rear hatch, and three forward crew hatches. For the troops in the back, the forward hatches are not particularly accessible. But, were there to be a problem with the back hatches, those may be the only options."It is a tight fit in there," Colby said. "Being realistic, it is going to be tough to get a lot of people out of a vehicle in any short period of time." He said that many military vehicles come with inherent risks though.Of the Marine veterans that spoke to Insider, Schmidt was the most critical of the AAVs. "For the most part, and mainly because of my experience, they are death traps and need to be updated if not completely eradicated from the Marine Corps," he said."We're already the most unstoppable force in the world. If we were to get new gear and equipment, not a country in the world would be able to touch us," he argued.The Marines have been trying to replace the AAV for two decades, but until recently, efforts to replace the aging vehicles were unsuccessful.One replacement attempt was the Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle, originally known as the Advanced Amphibious Assault Vehicle.The vehicle was expected to be faster, more heavily armored, equipped with more firepower, and more reliable than the AAV, but the project was canceled in 2011 due to rising costs, among other issues. That same year, an AAV carrying six Marines sank off the coast of California. One service member died in the accident.The Marine Corps is currently in the process of phasing out the AAV, which is being replaced by the new Amphibious Combat Vehicle. The service said in late September that new vehicle deliveries would start the following month.The Corps told Insider that the new ACV provides "increased lethality and protected mobility and supports the survivability and safety of the crew and embarked Marines." The service said the new vehicle "requirements and design address safety in the water to include emergency egress through the hatches." The service did not, however, say how it does that.

Amphibious assault vehicles that sink are 'death traps' for the troops inside, Marine veterans say after fatal accident

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image">Getty Images/Steve JenningsBox CEO Aaron Levie, with Joelle Emerson, a Skadden Fellow</div></div></div>When enterprise-focused online storage company Box <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/box-s-1-2014-3">filed for its IPO</a>, the number one thing that jumped out at people was the size of its losses. 
On revenue of $124 million, the company lost $168 million. Mark Cuban, an early investor who bailed on Box, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/mark-cuban-box-ipo-2014-3">tweeted that he would "combust" if he was responsible for losses like that</a>. 
Since launching, Box has raised over $400 million funding, and it's burned through ~$300 million of that funding. In the last year, Box burned through $168 million. 
Perhaps worse than the lack of profitability, or the burn rate, was the fact that Box spent $171 million on sales and marketing. A lot of people unfamiliar with enterprise businesses looked at that and thought, "WOW! That's a really big spend!"
It calls into question the entire business model of Box. Is it doomed to burn cash on sales in order grow revenues forever? Or is this totally normal? Is everyone who is freaking out wrong? Is this how enterprise companies operate - spending money up front to get recurring revenue in the future?
Tomasz Tunguz, a VC at Redpoint, <a href="http://tomtunguz.com/box-ipo/">did a comprehensive analysis of Box</a>, comparing it to 40 Software as a Service (SaaS) companies. His analysis is not good for Box. Here's 7 key metrics for Box, versus the market at large:
<ol>
<li>"Box's profitability in year 9 of its life is -136%. No other comparable company comes close in terms of net income % in their ninth year. Second place goes to Rally with -53%."</li>
<li>"Box's burn rate is twice as large as the next comparable firm, and nearly 10x the average."</li>
<li>"Box spends about 137% of their revenue on sales and marketing. This sales and marketing expense figure is 3x the average of 42% of revenue found across all other publicly traded SaaS companies at this point in their lifecycle."</li>
<li>"Box spends nearly 3.7x as much on sales and marketing as research and development. The average public SaaS business spends <a href="http://tomtunguz.com/saas-spend-allocation-benchmarks/">2.5x at year nine in its life</a>."</li>
<li>"Box's average customer value (ACV) is $3,653, much lower than the <a href="http://tomtunguz.com/customer-value-saas/">median of 59,600</a>."</li>
<li>"Box's sales average quarterly efficiency over the last year is 0.4 compared to <a href="http://tomtunguz.com/magic-numbers/">0.97 for other SaaS publics.</a>"</li>
<li>"Box is among the fastest growing SaaS companies at this point in its life. Box's revenue grew 110% in the last twelve months, about 2x the average rate of 53% of a SaaS company in its ninth year."</li>
</ol>
So, Box is growing its revenue like crazy, but just about everything else is much worse than others in the industry. 
Since Box filed for its IPO, it's in a quiet period and can't talk right now. But, in a perhaps ingenious bit of timing, Re/Code <a href="http://recode.net/2014/03/26/levies-strategy-for-box-attack-all-industries/">just ran an interview with Box CEO Aaron Levie</a> that was done before it filed its IPO. 
In the interview, Levie explained his company's crazy burn rate by saying, "I would be the first to say we've been aggressive, but there is simply not another logical way to attack the market. If you assume this market is going to be worth tens of billions, if it's that big there can only be two, maybe three leaders. So we're incentivized to grow as fast as possible."
It sounds like Levie has no plans to cut back on the company's burn rate. He said his biggest problem is that, "I can't grow a sales force that's big enough in time for when I need it." He's going to continue staffing up, which costs money. Though, he also says he plans on relying on third party sellers, which can cost less. 
Anyone considering an investment in the Box IPO has to have faith that at some point Box will be able to reign in spending, while still boosting revenue. That seems like a big ask for an investor right now. Of course, it all comes down to price. At a certain price, the burn rate isn't a big problem. For an investor, it's figuring out the right price. 
<a href="http://tomtunguz.com/box-ipo/">Read the full Tunguz report here &gt;</a>
<a href="http://kellblog.com/2014/03/27/burn-baby-burn-a-look-at-the-box-s-1/">For another analysis, click here&gt;</a>
<a href="http://recode.net/2014/03/26/levies-strategy-for-box-attack-all-industries/">And for the good Re/Code story on Box click here &gt;</a>

You Searched For "ACV" and got 6 results

US troops had to use their phones as flashlights to try to escape a sinking assault amphibious vehicle that killed 9 of them

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Amphibious assault vehicles that sink are 'death traps' for the troops inside, Marine veterans say after fatal accident

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THE BOX IPO ANALYSIS: This Company Is Burning Twice As Much Cash As Any Comparable Company

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