Audit reveals Marine Corps weapon storage security concerns

The U.S. Marine Corps has been directed to ramp up its security around its ammunition and explosives after a government audit found annual inspections did not meet Department of Defense standards.

The audit, conducted by the Government Accountability Office, cited a series of “physical security deficiencies” as a result of inspections that were either “not conducted or completed.”

In an administrative message Thursday, the Marine Corps issued guidance outlining the responsibility of commanders to follow security policies, train personnel on procedures and to provide a written corrective action plan addressing the physical security deficiencies identified during the survey within 90 days. The message notes that any missing, stolen, lost or recovered arms, ammunition or explosives must be included in the report.

The U.S. military has previously come under scrutiny over weapon security after an Associated Press investigation in 2021 revealed that nearly 2,000 military firearms were lost or stolen during the 2010s. According to the outlet, some of those weapons were used in violent crimes. The investigation prompted a series of reforms, including documentation of "lost or stolen weapons" under the National Defense Authorization Act for the fiscal year 2022.

This message comes less than two weeks after metal shrapnel from an exploding artillery shell struck a California Highway Patrol (CHP) vehicle during exercises at Camp Pendleton.

According to the CHP, the base was conducting “live-fire training demonstration over the freeway," while hosting celebrations of the Marine Corps' 250th anniversary. The officials also noted they had elected to stop traffic during the live-fire exercise.