--- title: "Marine dies during live-fire infantry training at Camp Pendleton" description: "A Marine died Thursday in a live-fire exercise during training at the School of Infantry-West on Camp Pendleton outside San Diego." date: "2023-08-18" modified: "2023-08-18" authors: - name: "Matt White" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://taskandpurpose.com/authors/matt-white/" url: "https://taskandpurpose.com/news/marine-killed-camp-pendleton/" categories: - "Around the World" - "Marine Corps" - "Military Branches" - "News" - "United States" tags: - "death" --- # Marine dies during live-fire infantry training at Camp Pendleton ![Marine Pendleton live fire]() *A Marine was killed August 17 during a live fire exercise at the School of Infantry-West.* A Marine died Thursday in a live-fire exercise during infantry training at Camp Pendleton, Marine Corps officials said Friday. “A Marine assigned as a student to the School of Infantry-West aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton died while participating in a night live-fire event,” service officials said in a statement. An investigation is underway, the service said, and the school was “providing support to the families and peers of the deceased.” [**Subscribe to Task & Purpose Today**]()**. Get the latest military news and culture in your inbox daily.** Though the service did not release details of the training event in which the Marine died, [SOI-West at Camp Pendleton]() is one of two primary training hubs that teaches combat skills in furtherance of the service’s ethic that “every Marine is a rifleman.” After graduating from boot camp, nearly all Marines report to SOI-West (or its counterpart, SOI-East at Camp LeJeune, North Carolina) for either a two-month course at the [Infantry Training Battalion]() for those assigned to the infantry or a month-long course in basic combat skills for those headed to non-infantry jobs under the Marine Combat Training Battalion. The Marine Corps did not say which training program the Marine was in when the mishap occurred. The student’s death was roughly a month after the school’s Command Sergeant Major was relieved of duty. Sgt. Maj. Steven M. Burkett was relieved as the school’s senior enlisted leader on July 13 “for a loss of trust and confidence in his ability to perform his duties,” according to a statement released to [Marine Corps Times](). ***The latest on Task & Purpose*** - **Air Force Combat Controllers** [**might scrap dive school**]() **during training pipeline** - **Army chief warrant officer 5 receives Soldier’s Medal for** [**saving people from house fire**]() - **4** [**US Navy destroyers**]() **respond to Russian and Chinese ships near Alaska** - **Chinese troops** [**vow they are willing to die**]() **in fight for Taiwan** - **‘He was willing to sacrifice himself:’ Army veteran** [**killed in Ukraine**]() ## Author Matt White is a senior editor at Task & Purpose*.* He writes on news, people and events that affect the lives of those in the Army, Air Force and Space Force, Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard. He also helps direct and edit coverage across Task & Purpose’s newsroom. He has written widely on military aviation and mishaps, service members with unique stories, and special operations including [combat search and rescue](). Got a story to tell? You can reach Matt at [matthew.white@taskandpurpose.com]() ### Author social links [Facebook]()