NEWS RELEASE from the United States Department of Defense No. 026-01
(703)695-0192(media)
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 18, 2001
(703)697-5737(public/industry)
MARINE CORPS TO INVESTIGATE OSPREY SQUADRON
The Department of Defense today announced that the commandant of the Marine
Corps has directed the inspector general of the Marine Corps to investigate
allegations that the commanding officer of Marine Tilt-Rotor Training
Squadron-204 asked Marines to falsify maintenance records on the squadron's
MV-22 Osprey aircraft. Marine Corps officials first became aware of these
allegations Jan. 12, when they received a copy of an anonymous letter and
audio tape that was mailed to the Office of the Secretary of the Navy. The
information alleged that the unit commander asked his Marines to falsify
maintenance documents concerning the squadron's MV-22 Osprey aircraft. The
squadron is based at Marine Corps Air Station New River, N.C. Marine Corps
officials said that although the inspector general has yet to complete his
investigation, at this point there appears to be no relation between these
allegations and the causes of either the April 8 mishap in Marana, Ariz., or
the Dec. 11 mishap in North Carolina. Based upon a preliminary review of the
information contained in the package, the commanding general of the 2nd
Marine Aircraft Wing relieved the squadron commander this morning, pending
the inspector general's thorough investigation of the matter. For more
information, contact Maj. Patrick Gibbons, U.S. Marine Corps Headquarters, at
(703) 614-4309. -END-
