Approximately 10 pounds of explosives are missing at a U.S. Marine Corps base in Southern California.
The high-powered explosives, which have been identified as Composition C-4, disappeared at Twentynine Palms Marine Corps Base two weeks ago during a training exercise, ABC 10 reported on Thursday. Top brass within the San Bernardino County military installation have offered a reward for the missing devices, and investigators have entertained the possibility of theft.
Capt. Zachary Colvin, with the Marine Air Ground Task Force Training Command, did not confirm details but told the outlet “the ongoing investigation into this incident is being handled by NCIS and the affected units.”
The Naval Criminal Investigative Service and Twentynine Palms did not immediately return a request for comment from the Washington Examiner at the time of publishing.
The missing explosives precede an announcement made by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Wednesday when he ordered a 60-day “stand down” to assess extremism within the military in response to the Jan. 6 Capitol riot that saw five deaths, including one U.S. Capitol Police officer.
“The events of Jan. 6 served as a wake-up call for this department,” Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told defense reporters. “There were members, sadly, of the active-duty force participating and espousing these radical beliefs. We don’t know the full breadth and depth of it.”
