I agree they gave the nation and the military a black eye. But I don't think it would have made any difference in the costs of casualties. The people we are fighting could care less they only want to kill Americans and Iraqis. Remember, they had already killed and beheaded a couple of Americans before this got into the MSM. People that would sen their own to their deaths in suicide bombings could give a crap about all this.
I don't think she ought to be getting any medals either. Like someone else said give her a dishonorable discharge and send her home. I also do not believe these yahoos could have done this sort of thing without someone in the chain of command knowing about it.
Only to say that ever since I saw the pictures, I have gut dislike of this woman, and no less from the others who were involved in this thing. I have such a respect for the Military, that the realization, that this kind of trash are actually part of it, was a bit shocking to me... so I can imagine it was the same for many, many people in this country alone, let alone the rest of the World. Shocking because it was unexpected. Of course, nothing like this can be proven, but I believe this gave the killers a little bit more anger, to avenge, what a "woman" did to their "manhood." In a part of the world where this kind of thing can be highly offensive (offending?). Again I have no proof of that.
One thing I do agree, there is someone up the ladder who should me be held responsible as well, otherwise it looks as it they are just scapegoats.