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Military probes parachute tampering
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The military is investigating as a criminal case the discovery of more than a dozen sabotaged parachutes at the Marine Corps base at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. Suspension lines on 13 parachutes were apparently deliberately cut in recent weeks, U.S. officials said Wednesday. The Naval Criminal Investigation Service and the judge advocate general have launched a criminal investigation. The sabotage was first suspected September 21 during a routine parachute training jump from a C-17 aircraft. The chutes of three Marines failed to deploy properly and the men had to use their reserve chutes to land safely. The jump was immediately halted. The C-17 was met on the ground by NCIS special agents who confiscated all remaining 22 parachutes and reserve chutes. Nine additional chutes were found to have cut lines, and one additional one was later discovered. "The inspections determined the suspension lines had been severed on the 13 affected main parachutes in such a manner that pre-jump inspections would not detect any signs of tampering," according to a statement from Camp Lejeune. All parachutes were being re-inspected at the base before further jumps. Marines in charge of parachute inspections were taking the case very personally. "A lot of people within the community who do jump have a lot of trust in you, a lot of faith in your abilities to pack these parachutes correctly -- so that when they do jump them, when they open, they have good lift," said Sgt. Carlos Sneed.
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