BRADENTON – The U.S. Army kicks out three unit leaders for a crash that killed a Bradenton soldier last year.
Military.com reports two company-level officers and a staff sergeant were removed following the investigation of a training accident that killed Nicholas Panipinto.
In November 2019, Panipinto was killed when a Bradley Fighting vehicle turned over at Camp Humphrey in South Korea.
Panipinto received six hours of training with no physical instruction on the vehicle.
His mom, Kimberly Weaver, says she’s glad they’re taking accountability, but removing unit leaders is not enough.
“I just think that the statistics show that there needs to be changed on a broader spectrum than just the unit level,” Weaver said. “I think 32-percent of our service dying in non-combat-related situations is very telling.
Weaver says this is unacceptable, and she’s going to keep being that voice for the soldiers who don’t have on. She wants a change.
She says she’s thankful to Congressman Vern Buchanan for pushing a congressional investigation on training accidents.
