During a live fire exercise at Camp Pendleton, California, a piece of metal shrapnel from an artillery round hit and mildly damaged a California Highway Patrol vehicle.
This incident occurred while Marines were conducting drills to commemorate the upcoming 250th anniversary of the Marine Corps on a stretch of Interstate 5. The exercise had already faced opposition from California Governor Gavin Newsom, who voiced concerns over the safety of conducting military exercises over busy highways.
While fortunately no injuries were reported, the highway was closed to traffic during the event. Captain Gregory Dreibelbis from the Marines confirmed that procedures were followed, and the firing was halted post-incident. He also indicated an investigation was underway to understand how the detonation of an artillery round reached outside of the designated areas.
Newsom expressed frustration on social media about the reckless nature of the exercise given the potential risk to civilian lives. Meanwhile, Vice President JD Vance, who observed the training and is a former Marine himself, was present amid an atmosphere of celebration for the Marine Corps legacy.
