[Modok]

Excellent news. Lt. Pantano did an wonderful job.

[TADSLOS]

Col. Winn expressed particular distrust in the credibility of the chief prosecution witness, Sgt. Daniel Coburn, whose accusations first led to the stateside investigation, noting that he had changed stories several times.

So, when does this POS get his day in court?

[CrawDaddyCA]

I'd say what ever genius that thought of bringing charges against this Marine did the country a disservice by:

1) 'Souring' his view of the Corps and the country. If the country he's fighting for wants to punish him for doing his job, why bother serving?

and

2) Making every service member question his actions for fear of being prosecuted. And in combat, hesitation means death.

Lt. Pantano sounds like a natural leader, and other young Marines are better off with him in command. If my son were a Marine in combat (he's Navy), I'd feel a lot better.

[CrawDaddyCA]

BTW Mom, I thank you and your sons for their service, Semper Fi (from an old squid).

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

Sgt. Coburn should be charged with Perjury under UCMJ Article 131 ( http://usmilitary.about.com/library/milinfo/mcm/bl131.htm ). The max penalty for this is Dishonorable Discharge, loss of all pay and allowances, and 5 years confinement. Considering that he fraudulently attempted to have a Marine prosecuted for murder, I say the maximum penalty is warranted.

[Seruzawa]

Maybe the staff officer/prosecutors can go back to doing what they are really really good at - sharpening pencils.

[kimosabe31]

“We send our message that we are not to be messed with by sturdy professionalism. We must never lose sight of the fact that we occupy the moral high ground in the fight against the insurgents,” Col. Winn wrote. “We are fighting against terrorists, who use techniques like torture and beheadings to strike fear and intimidate the weak … Once we allow ourselves to traverse down that slope, we are no better than the insurgents we are fighting.”

Someone should advise the good colonel he can take his "moral high ground" and stuff it. The only thing that counts in a fight with these savages is body count...the higher the better. If I had any beef at all with Lt Pantano, with the rounds he used he probably could've whacked five more of them.