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<ul class="summary-list"><li>Catelynn <keyword id="23560717" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="lowell" source="keywords">Lowell</keyword> and Tyler <keyword id="23560716" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="baltierra" source="keywords">Baltierra</keyword> sat down with Insider to talk about <keyword id="20697629" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ketamine" source="keywords">ketamine</keyword> therapy.</li><li>Baltierra has done ketamine therapy to address childhood sexual-abuse trauma. </li></ul>When it comes to their children, Catelynn Lowell and Tyler Baltierra believe in doing whatever they can to break generational cycles of trauma. The stars of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.insider.com/teen-mom-cast-shares-best-parenting-and-co-parenting-advice-2022-8"><u>"Teen Mom: The Next Chapter"</u></a> — which follows Lowell, Baltierra, and their castmates from "<keyword id="23560718" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="teen-mom-og" source="keywords">Teen Mom OG</keyword> (2009)" and "Teen Mom 2 (2011)" — sat down with Insider to talk about Baltierra's experience using ketamine therapy to address his childhood sexual-abuse trauma.<br /><br />Ketamine is a drug that can be administered intravenously or nasally as a<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ketamine-therapy-depression-treatment-addictive-drug-clinics-2023-1"> <u>painkiller or sedative</u></a>. A doctor may also prescribe ketamine off-label to<a target="_blank" href="https://www.insider.com/ketamine-for-anxiety-how-it-helped-me-2023-7"> <u>treat mental-health conditions</u></a> like depression and anxiety.<br /><br />Because of its anesthetic properties, ketamine is thought to help people access the unconscious mind and process feelings about past events. For some people, dreams, memories, or out-of-body experiences may occur while taking ketamine.<br /><br /><h2><strong>Talk therapy can only go so far</strong></h2>After varying success with<a target="_blank" href="https://www.apa.org/ptsd-guideline/patients-and-families/cognitive-behavioral"> <u>cognitive-behavioral therapy</u></a>, Baltierra explained that he wanted to try something different. He learned that ketamine therapy is legal in his home state of Michigan.<br /><br />"I get to certain points in my life where I feel like I want to do something a little more intense," he told Insider. "Something where I'm forced to dive deeper into my head because I feel like so much talk therapy, it can get repetitive fast."<br /><br />He researched treatment options and recommended that others do the same to find the right therapist and treatment facility. "Ketamine was the first jumping-off point for me to get down to the core issues that I have with my trauma and how it affects me as an adult," he said.<br /><br />Lowell said that she's supportive of Baltierra working through his childhood trauma and believes that ketamine therapy has been beneficial for him. "Everybody's mental-health journey is different, and whatever you feel is going to assist you, like you know yourself the best, so of course, I'm like, absolutely go for it," she told Insider.<br /><br /><h2><strong>Sometimes you have to sit with your feelings</strong></h2>Starting ketamine therapy has been "very enlightening," Baltierra said. "It really helped me bring some trauma to the surface and the coping strategies that weren't working for me." One of these strategies is his tendency to "intellectualize" his feelings.<br /><br />"I would feel a feeling, and then I would intellectualize it by reading books and articles about it," he said. He thought that he could heal and move on by putting his energy into researching mental health rather than dealing with his emotions.<br /><br />"I never actually sat with the feeling and felt it," he explained. "And so, I feel like with ketamine, I can't intellectualize because you're at the mercy of the experience." In other words, he realized he couldn't rely on his usual coping mechanism of using science and knowledge to push away uncomfortable emotions.<br /><br /><h2><strong>Reducing stigma around child sexual abuse</strong></h2>Baltierra hadn't originally planned on speaking publicly about his experience with child sexual abuse. He changed his mind after considering how common it is for men to stay silent about this issue and wanted to break this pattern.<br /><br />"It's kind of scary for me to do it, but I know it's necessary," he said. "I feel like I have a little bit of a responsibility with this platform to be vulnerable and as transparent as possible."<br /><br />As a child, when he first told his peers about the abuse, he was surprised by their reaction. "I would tell stories, and a lot of the dudes would be like, 'Oh, cool, man,'" he said. "So I would pretend, like, I guess this is supposed to be cool even though inside it didn't feel cool. It was traumatic and scary."<br /><br />Lowell praised Baltierra for helping raise awareness about sexual abuse against boys and young men. "I mean, you wouldn't look at a woman who was molested or raped and be like, 'Oh, that's so awesome you've had an older guy do those things to you,'" she said. "It's not a cool thing. It is still trauma. It's all about ending that stigma that just because it happens to boys makes it not that big of a deal, and that's not accurate."<br /><br /><h2><strong>Being a parent can force you to revisit childhood trauma</strong></h2>Like Baltierra, Lowell has sought mental-health support for coping with childhood trauma. What she's learned about herself in therapy has reinforced her commitment to "breaking intergenerational traumas" and ensuring she doesn't pass them on to her three daughters.<br /><br />"As your children become certain ages where you experienced trauma, it can actually bring stuff to the surface for you," she explained. "You might end up getting triggered or having anxiety because of the traumatic experience that happened to you at their age."<br /><br /><h2><strong>Talking to kids about protecting their bodies</strong></h2>As a parent, whether you have a personal history of trauma or not, "sexual trauma should be a talking subject," Lowell said. "These are conversations that everybody should be having with their children."<br /><br />When their now 8-year-old daughter <keyword id="23560719" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="nova" source="keywords">Nova</keyword> turned 3, the couple felt it was important for her to start learning how to label her own body parts. "How can you protect your own body if you don't even know about it," Baltierra said.<br /><br />Lowell agreed, saying, "If something were to happen to your kids, and they were to tell somebody, they are using the correct terminology and not a nickname for it." Both parents recommended speaking to your kids at an age-appropriate level and letting their questions guide the conversation.<br /><br />She gave an example of what these conversations sound like with their daughters: "Everybody's got a bubble, and if you feel uncomfortable about somebody coming into your bubble, it's OK to tell them that they're not allowed," she said. "They're not welcome. I don't like that."<br /><br /><h2><strong>Supporting your partner through their journey</strong></h2>In the episode that aired on September 13, Baltierra's therapist invited Lowell to participate in a couple's session as part of his ketamine therapy. Her immediate reaction was wanting to learn more about her husband's experience and what she could do to support him.<br /><br />"I was going into it with a very open mind," she said. "I think it was important for me to hear the things that Ty had learned, so that way you can be that support system for your person. I feel like that's really important."<br /><br />Baltierra agreed, saying that men need to talk about child sexual abuse. "Because when you have unresolved trauma in the body, it will resurface itself in multiple ways."<br /><br />His advice for partners is to approach your loved one with curiosity and compassion. "Partners should go into it with an open mind and not be afraid of what you might discover or what you might hear and just try to be supportive," he said.<br /><br /><em>You can watch the new season of "Teen Mom: The Next Chapter" on MTV on Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET.</em><br /><br /><em>For more tools and resources to support emotional well-being, visit </em><a target="_blank" href="http://mentalhealthishealth.us"><em><u>mentalhealthishealth.us</u></em></a><em>.</em><br /><br />

'Teen Mom' parents Catelynn and Tyler discuss how ketamine therapy helped him process childhood sexual abuse trauma

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Tyler Baltierra and Catelynn Baltierra (née Lowell) have been together for 15 years. </li><li>The two star on <keyword id="8959" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="MTV">MTV</keyword>'s "<keyword id="1154559" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="teen-mom">Teen Mom</keyword> OG" and have had three children together. </li><li>They began dating in 2005 when they were in middle school. </li></ul><p>After being introduced to Tyler Baltierra and Catelynn Baltierra (née Lowell) on the <a href="https://www.insider.com/where-are-they-now-16-and-pregnant-2018-9">MTV series "16 and Pregnant,"</a> fans have been able to follow their journey as a couple on "Teen Mom." And viewers have watched them go through a lot.</p><p>From middle-school sweethearts to reality-TV stars, read on for a timeline of Tyler and Catelynn's <keyword id="6355233" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Relationship">relationship</keyword>.</p><h2>In 2005, Catelynn and Tyler started dating</h2><p>According to the couple's book, "Conquering Chaos," <a href="https://okmagazine.com/photos/catelynn-lowell-tyler-baltierra-conquering-chaos-book-secrets/">Tyler and Catelynn met in seventh grade</a> when they were in the same music class. </p><h2>In 2009, Catelynn and Tyler appeared on '16 and Pregnant'</h2><p>After getting pregnant at 16 years old, Catelynn and Tyler joined the cast of MTV's "16 and Pregnant." They decided they weren't prepared to raise a child and made the decision to place their baby up for adoption.</p><p>In <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/wfTMJYP9lj/?taken-by=catelynnmtv">May 2009</a>, their daughter Carly was born and <a href="https://www.intouchweekly.com/posts/carly-teen-mom-og-134991">placed with a couple named Brandon and Teresa</a>, who have chosen for their daughter not to appear on the show.</p><h2>That same year, 'Teen Mom' premiered</h2><div type="image" title="Catelynn Lowell" height="1526" width="2034" msid="79646770" hostid="261"></div><p>MTV brought Tyler and Catelynn back for a new series that, at the time, included fellow "16 and Pregnant" stars Farrah Abraham, <a href="https://www.insider.com/amber-quit-teen-mom-miscarriage-2018-11">Amber Portwood</a>, and Maci Bookout. </p><p>The series has since switched up his cast and is now called "Teen Mom OG," but Catelynn and Tyler still star on it.</p><h2>In January 2010, their engagement was on an episode of 'Teen Mom' </h2><p><a href="https://people.com/archive/cover-story-teen-moms-catelynn-tyler-heartbreak-healing-vol-74-no-9/">Tyler proposed to Catelynn</a> a year after Carly was born and the moment was caught on camera by MTV. She said yes. </p><h2>In summer 2010, they briefly broke up</h2><p>During season two of "Teen Mom," Tyler found out that Catelynn <a href="http://www.wetpaint.com/teen-mom-catelynn-lowell-and-tyler-baltierras-relationship-history-705816/">had lied to him</a> about hooking up with an ex two years earlier while the couple was on a break.</p><p>This led to a short breakup, but they quickly reconciled within the same episode. </p><h2>In 2013, they called off their wedding</h2><div type="image" title="catelynn tyler couples therapy" height="2099" width="2799" msid="79646771" hostid="261"></div><p>While on VH1's "Couple's Therapy," Tyler made the decision to <a href="https://hollywoodlife.com/2013/07/17/tyler-baltierra-catelynn-lowell-wedding-off-teen-mom/">call off his wedding to Catelynn</a> since they still had a lot of work to do in their relationship.</p><p>Catelynn said she was heartbroken but ultimately this seemed to help them both prepare to make a major commitment to each other.</p><h2>In August 2014, the couple announced they were expecting their second child together</h2><p>Earlier that year, Catelynn told InTouch that she and Tyler <a href="https://www.intouchweekly.com/posts/teen-mom-s-catelynn-lowell-and-tyler-baltierra-reveal-we-re-trying-to-have-a-baby-37490">made the decision to stop using birth control</a> and they felt more ready to have a child now than when they were teens.</p><p>Just a few months later at 22 years old, Catelynn <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2718425/Teen-Mom-Catelynn-Lowell-confirms-second-pregnancy-baby-bump-snap-5-years-giving-daughter-adoption.html">announced her second pregnancy</a>. </p><h2>That same year, Catelynn got a new engagement ring</h2><p>On Christmas Day in 2015, <a href="https://www.accessonline.com/articles/teen-mom-catelynn-lowell-tyler-baltierra-get-engaged-again-on-christmas-155424/">Tyler surprised Catelynn with a new engagement ring.</a> It's unclear if this was part of a second proposal, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/xCPHLRv9mT/?taken-by=catelynnmtv">but the previously canceled wedding was clearly back on</a>. </p><p>Catelynn shared a photo of the ring on Instagram, writing, "Babe got me a new engagement ring.... I wasn't expecting this at all... it even has a baby diamond on the bottom to represent our new little girl.... thank you so much <a href="https://www.instagram.com/tylerbaltierramtv/">@tylerbaltierramtv</a> I love you!"</p><h2>On January 1, 2015, Lowell gave birth to Novalee</h2><p>On the first day of 2015, Catelynn and Tyler <a href="https://okmagazine.com/reality-tv/catelynn-lowell-gives-birth-baby-girl-teen-mom/">welcomed baby Novalee</a> into the world.</p><h2>In March 2015, they published a book they cowrote together</h2><p>The <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/conquering-chaos-catelynn-lowell/1120823772#/">book is called "Conquering Chaos"</a> and it shares their story of "teen pregnancy, adoption, and breaking the cycle." The two also went on a book tour.</p><h2>In August 2015, Catelynn and Tyler got married</h2><p>On August 22, 2015 - when Novalee was 8 months old - Tyler and Catelynn <a href="https://www.usmagazine.com/stylish/pictures/catelynn-lowell-tyler-baltierra-wedding-album-teen-mom-2015278/">got married</a> after being together for more than a decade.</p><p>Surrounded by their family, friends, "Teen Mom" costars, and even Carly and her parents, they vowed to spend the rest of their lives together. The color scheme was white and black, and Catelynn told Us Weekly that the biggest issue is that the bridal shop forgot her veil. </p><h2>In July 2017, the couple launched a children's clothing line called Tierra Reign</h2><p>According to the site, the <a href="https://www.tierrareign.com/about-us/">items are handmade in their home state</a>, Michigan. They're also personally designed by the couple. </p><h2>In fall 2017, Catelynn experienced a miscarriage</h2><p>In 2017, Catelynn<a href="https://hollywoodlife.com/2018/01/30/did-catelynn-lowell-suffer-a-miscarriage-pregnant-teem-mom-og/"> said she was dealing with suicidal thoughts</a> and other mental-health issues.</p><p>Around that time, she also shared that she had a miscarriage. She checked herself into treatment twice and Tyler stayed behind to look after Novalee and run their clothing business on his own.</p><h2>In summer 2018, the couple denied rumors that they were getting divorced </h2><p>Because of their struggles both together and apart, <a href="https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/catelynn-lowell-slams-tyler-baltierra-divorce-rumors/">breakup rumors</a> were rampant in the second half of 2018.</p><p>Some of it has to do with the show - during the finale of "Teen Mom OG" that aired in April, Catelynn said <a href="https://www.usmagazine.com/entertainment/news/teen-mom-ogs-catelynn-tells-tyler-its-ok-if-he-wants-a-divorce/">she wouldn't blame Tyler for divorcing her.</a></p><p>Plus fans speculated something when Catelynn changed the name in her Instagram bio from <a href="https://www.intouchweekly.com/posts/catelynn-lowell-instagram-name-change-160019">Baltierra back to Lowell.</a></p><p>But the rumors weren't true. "Tyler and I are not getting a divorce. Couples go through ups and downs. That's normal life," <a href="https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/catelynn-lowell-slams-tyler-baltierra-divorce-rumors/">she told Us Weekly</a>. </p><h2>In September 2018, the pair announced they were expecting another baby</h2><p>In September 2018, Catelynn and Tyler <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BoCxn_Xjc99/?taken-by=catelynnmtv">announced on Instagram that they're expecting another child</a>.</p><p>"We were not planning it, especially after the miscarriage and how I went downhill with my mental illness," she told Us Weekly. "We were going to wait a really long time. We were using protection and everything and <a href="https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-moms/news/catelynn-lowell-pregnant-expecting-baby-no-3-with-tyler-baltierra/">still got pregnant</a>. This baby just wanted to be here. It was very unexpected."</p><h2>In November 2018, the pair announced that they decided to temporarily live apart</h2><div type="image" title="catelynn lowell" height="1080" width="1440" msid="79646772" hostid="261"></div><p>On an episode of "Teen Mom OG," the two returned from couples therapy and agreed to temporarily live apart from each other. </p><p>"Getting pregnant was very unexpected since <a href="https://people.com/tv/teen-mom-og-pregnant-catelynn-tyler-baltierra-decide-live-separately-denies-cheating/">we still have a lot of work to do</a> on our relationship," Catelynn said in the voiceover, per People's reports.</p><p>She explained to the show's producer that she and Tyler had been together for so long that they didn't know who they are as individuals anymore.</p><p>The pair agreed that living separately for a bit would be the best thing to do. But the couple reaffirmed that they were not ending their relationship.</p><p>"We don't want to see other people," Catelynn told the producer. "We're not getting a divorce or anything."</p><h2>In February 2019, the pair welcomed their third child together</h2><p>Their third child was born<a href="https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-moms/news/catelynn-lowell-gives-birth-to-baby-no-3-with-tyler-baltierra/"> on February 21</a> and they named her Vaeda Luma. Following their child's birth, the pair moved back in together. </p><h2>In June 2019, Catelynn said she thinks her and Tyler's temporary split was good for her but she doesn't need him</h2><div type="image" title="Catelynn Lowell Tyler Baltierra teen mom" height="2220" width="2960" msid="79646773" hostid="261"></div><p>On an episode of "Teen Mom OG" Catelynn spoke about how she believes her and Tyler's temporary split was a wise long-term decision. </p><p>"I think it was good for me, looking back at it now, realizing if he ends up wanting to divorce me, I guess, whatever. I'll be sad but I don't f---ing need you. I can do this on my own," she said during an episode, <a href="https://www.usmagazine.com/entertainment/news/catelynn-lowell-tells-tyler-baltierra-she-doesnt-need-him/">per Us Weekly</a>. </p><p>She also spoke about how she and Tyler have gone <a href="https://www.usmagazine.com/entertainment/news/catelynn-lowell-gives-update-on-tyler-baltierra-relationship/">to couples' therapy</a> in the past and it helped them and they are <a href="https://www.usmagazine.com/entertainment/news/catelynn-lowell-gives-update-on-tyler-baltierra-relationship/">"in a good place." </a></p><p>"We're really opposite, but we have a lot of similarities. I just think really open, honest communication [works]," she told Us Weekly. "I feel like some people are just meant to be with one another and I really just feel like that's him and I; we just really bond and click and connect."</p><h2>In December 2020, Catelynn shared that she experienced pregnancy loss </h2><p><a href="https://twitter.com/CatelynnLowell/status/1336399768285831174?s=20">On Twitter</a>, she wrote in a statement, "I WAS pregnant and excited to share it with all of you and I am heartbroken to reveal that I lost the baby."</p><p>She told <a href="https://championdaily.com/2020/12/08/exclusive-catelynn-baltierra-opens-up-on-heartbreaking-new-miscarriage/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Champion Daily</a> that she <a href="https://www.insider.com/celebrities-who-had-miscarriages-2018-11">experienced a miscarriage</a> on Thanksgiving day.</p><p>"It was super early but like I said before it still hurts and all the excitement goes out the window," she told the publication. "This is why we waited to tell Nova … because experiencing one miscarriage in my past I knew it was a sad possibility."</p><h2>In February, Catelynn announced that they're expecting </h2><p><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CLmwLrrgqsx/">On Instagram</a>, Catelynn posted a photo of Novalee and Vaeda wearing "big sister" shirts with the caption, "This rainbow was worth the storm. Baby Baltierra coming soon."</p><p>She also shared a photo of a positive pregnancy test and ultrasound. </p><p><strong>Read More:</strong></p><p><a href="https://www.insider.com/maci-and-taylor-from-teen-mom-relationship-timeline-2019-6">'Teen Mom' stars Maci Bookout and Taylor McKinney have been through a lot together - here's a timeline of their relationship</a></p><p><a href="https://www.insider.com/where-are-they-now-16-and-pregnant-2018-9">WHERE ARE THEY NOW? The teen moms from '16 and Pregnant'</a></p><p><a href="https://www.insider.com/surprising-things-about-teen-mom-mtv-2018-6">7 surprising things you never knew about MTV's 'Teen Mom'</a></p>

'Teen Mom' stars Tyler Baltierra and Catelynn Lowell are expecting baby No. 4. Here's a timeline of their 15-year relationship.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The Marine Corps has <keyword id="80827" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="60" keywordseo="Fired">fired</keyword> another commanding officer in response to the <keyword id="155708" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="AAV">AAV</keyword> <keyword id="6354769" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="60" keywordseo="accident">accident</keyword> last summer.</li><li>The CO of the expeditionary unit that saw nine troops die in the accident was relieved Tuesday.</li><li>In October, the Corps relieved the CO of Battalion Landing Team, 1st Battalion, 4th Marines.</li></ul><p>The Marine Corps has fired the commanding officer of the the expeditionary unit that <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/marines-say-sinking-assault-amphibious-vehicles-are-death-traps-2020-9">saw nine service members die in an assault amphibious vehicle (AAV) accident last summer</a>, the service said in a statement Tuesday. He is the second senior leader to be fired in response.</p><p>Following the completion of a command investigation into the deadly mishap, Lt. Gen. Steven Rudder, the head of Marine Corps Forces Pacific relieved Col. Christopher Bronzi, the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit commander, on Tuesday due to "a loss of trust and confidence in his ability to command."</p><div type="image" title="Marine Corps Col. Christopher Bronzi" height="1499" width="1000" msid="81653708" hostid="261"></div><p>Col. Fridrik Fridriksson, who previously commanded the 11th MEU, has taken over Bronzi's command of the 15th MEU, a California-based unit that is currently deployed to the Central Command area of responsibility with the Makin Island Amphibious Readiness Group.</p><p>On July 30, 2020, an AAV, a 26-ton tracked amphibious vehicle built to move Marines between ship and shore, sank off the coast of California during a training exercise. <a href="https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Releases/Release/Article/2298273/department-of-defense-statement-on-the-loss-of-nine-service-members-off-califor/">Less than half of the 16 service members in the vehicle at the time of the accident survived</a>.</p><p>Eight Marines and a Navy sailor assigned to Bravo Company, Battalion Landing Team 1st Battalion, 4th Marines died, making 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/">training incident the deadliest</a> in the nearly five-decade history of the Corps' AAVs.</p><p>The service members killed in the accident were Lance Cpl. Guillermo S. Perez, Pfc. Bryan J. Baltierra, Lance Cpl. Marco A. Barranco, Pfc. Evan A. Bath, Pfc. Jack Ryan Ostrovsky, Cpl. Wesley A. Rodd, Lance Cpl. Chase D. Sweetwood, Cpl. Cesar A. Villanueva, and Navy Hospitalman Christopher Gnem.</p><p>In the wake of the accident, the Marine Corps suspended all waterborne operations for its aging fleet of roughly 800 AAVs, all of which were inspected.</p><p>Though the command investigation into the accident has been completed, it has not been publicly released. The findings will first be presented to the families of the deceased.</p><p>Last October, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/marine-corps-fires-commander-over-deadly-amphibious-assault-vehicle-accident-2020-10">Lt. Gen. Karsten Heckl, who commands I Marine Expeditionary Force, relieved Lt. Col. Michael Regner</a>, commanding officer of Battalion Landing Team 1st Battalion, 4th Marines with the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, of his command.</p><div type="image" title="Marine Corps Lt. Col. Michael J. Regner" height="326" width="435" msid="81653709" hostid="261"></div><p>A Marine Corps statement said that Regner was relieved "due to a loss in trust and confidence in his ability to command as a result of the assault amphibious vehicle mishap that took place off the coast of Southern California."</p><p>Regner took command of Battalion Landing Team 1st Battalion, 4th Marines in June 2019, and Bronzi, who previously commanded the 1/4, assumed command of the 15th MEU in November that same year.</p>

US Marine Corps fires another commander over the assault amphibious vehicle accident that killed 9 troops

<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><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>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."</p><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><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>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."</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>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."</p><p>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.</p><p>The commander waved the blue and white distress flag for 20 minutes but did not make use of the pyrotechnic signaling options available.</p><p>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. </p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>When a wave washed over the struggling AAV, water came pouring in through the open hatch, flooding the vehicle.</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>The Marine Corps said in a statement Thursday that their loss continues to be felt across the service.</p><div type="image" title="Marines aboard amphibious assault vehicle prepare for an amphibious assault." height="616" width="822" msid="81698333" hostid="261"></div><h2><strong>'Tragic mishap was preventable'</strong></h2><p>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."</p><p>But, there were problems at other levels as well. He noted that at the platoon level "discipline and combat effectiveness were seriously compromised."</p><p>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.</p><p>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."</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>An inspection of the participating vehicles after the accident found that most were in "poor condition."</p><p>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."</p><p>Marine Corps officials insist the vehicles are safe as long as procedures are properly followed.</p><p>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.</p>

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