Soldier tells of combat stress in unit

AP ^ | 8/8/06 | RYAN LENZ

[dakine]

Just readin'... Old arguments bein' thrown out...

[Chena]

Having said that, please keep in mind I AM NOT DENIGRATING ANY SOLIDER OVER THERE. I am denigrating using combat stress as an excuse to justify rape and murder.

I agree with your last sentence. Your first post, which I responded to, gave a different impression of your mindset.

[battlegearboat]

You be the judge. I don't know what you've been through.

I know what I've been through, how lucky I am to be alive and I live with it every day of my life.

Oh, and it brings tears to my eyes so you can just call me a big titty baby.

[nicko]

when/where were you at in Somalia?

[markomalley]

I agree with your last sentence. Your first post, which I responded to, gave a different impression of your mindset.

I probably should have made it clear that I was specifically referring to the testimony being used in the Article 32 hearing as an excuse for their monstrous behavior.

 

For that, I do apologize.

---

You be the judge. I don't know what you've been through.

I know what I've been through, how lucky I am to be alive and I live with it every day of my life.

I'm sure we both have a lot of war stories. I'm also sure there are some that we just have to keep to ourselves.

But seeing my wife and daughter whenever I returned always brought tears to my eyes. I understand what you're saying.

[Chena]

I probably should have made it clear that I was specifically referring to the testimony being used in the Article 32 hearing as an excuse for their monstrous behavior.

Yes, that would probably have prevented the comments to you that followed that particular post. But as always, hindsight is 20/20. I understand your intent now and apologize for not reading the rest of your posts before responding.

Allow me to also thank you for your military service. :)

[Chena]

Oooops, I must have hit the wrong keystrokes. I meant to italicize your comment. I probably should have made it clear that I was specifically referring to the testimony being used in the Article 32 hearing as an excuse for their monstrous behavior.

Fumble-fingers here. ;)

[Txsleuth]

Whoa...even better!

[robert jones]

That's no excuse for raping and murdering a 14 year old girl and also murdering her mother and sister.

So, it is an excuse to murder her father?

[pissant]

I'm sure Ryan Lenz will cover the defense with equal vigor, and point out the descrepencies in the timeline and affidavits like he continually brings this up in every article:

"The case has bolstered allegations of misconduct by soldiers, including illegal killings, beatings and inhuman treatment. The allegations have increased the mistrust and resentment among Iraqis of U.S. troops and increased calls for their withdrawal".


/s

[twinself]

I agree with you completely. I also have wife and a daugther and imaging any trash could even raise his hand on them makes my stomach turn. But let's wait for the court's final decision and believe that the truth prevails.

[brazzaville]

Good morning.
"...he is always worried about whats going on around him."

It's called hyper vigilance. It's never fully gone once you have it and it can kill you in several ways.

I've had friends die from drinking or doing drugs while trying to turn it off. One friend committed suicide by cop. Several of us, me included had heart attacks while otherwise healthy and several have died from the stress of always being switched on.

Your friend's husband needs to let the VA or the military get him in to see a counselor.

All that said, I'm not sure I could live without that edge.

Michael Frazier

[pissant]

Rape, killings described in accused soldier's account

Seattle Times News Services

According to Bierce, Barker wrote in his sworn testimony that he and three other soldiers had been playing rummy and drinking Iraqi moonshine mixed with an energy drink on the day of the alleged attack.

According to two of the alleged confessions in the affidavit, they were drinking the NIGHT of the 11th. One soldier's affidavit testimony said (Barker I believe), that they changed into dark clothes to "not be seen"

The four then donned black masks and entered the 14-year-old girl's home in Mahmoudiya, south of Baghdad, a few hundred yards from where the soldiers were staffing a vehicle checkpoint, Bierce said.

According to the affidavit, only Green covered his face, with a brown shirt. I'm still perplexed why some changed clothes to "not be seen" and others wore their uniforms.

Sgt. Paul Cortez, 23, and Barker took turns sexually assaulting the teen, Abeer Qassim al-Janabi, according to Barker's statement. (snip) Green then raped the girl while Cortez held her down, Barker's statement said.

Now there are three rapist instead of two as listed in the affidavit.

During the hearing, Special Agent Michael Hood, a polygraph administrator, testified that Spielman passed the lie-detector test when he said he did not kill or have sex with anyone in the house.

So Howard was elsewhere "keeping watch", Spielman says he did not rape or kill anyone, and Barker told his commanding officer that "no coalition forces killed the family or raped the young girl".

Yet we end up with this testimony from Bierce about what Barker told him. It does not add up, and it will be very telling how the soldiers testify & plead. If they are guilty, I hope they plead such and get this over with.

[Stashiu]

PTSD should never be an excuse. It is however, a damn good explanation.

I was stunned to find out that of 2.5 million of us who served in country, less than a million are still alive. Also found out that those of us with PTSD live 10 years shorter on average anyway.

Some things I have found out about PTSD: younger puts you more at risk (17-22 yrs old), frequency and intensity of combat exposure, the coping skills you take into combat with you, how you are treated on your return........all these are factors of how you will be affected. Most folks can just have a short term acute form of it.

Something else I have observed, not clinically supported, but I have noticed that folks who stay in the military for a while after their combat experiences, seem to have fewer adjustment problems. I think it may be a question of having more folks to process just what the hell went on when you were in combat. You don't have the luxury of that during combat.

Anyway, Mark, thank you for your service.

[Marine_Uncle]

Assuming the reporting accurately portrays what has been said at these pre-hearings, it looks like these soldiers are in a heap of trouble.
As one Freeper brought up, the blame had better not stop with the PFC's. No patrol, plattoon level should go un-deciplined, which seems to be grossly the case.
Sargents, lieutenants, and captains are responsible for the moral, and decipline of their underlings. And in the Marine Corps., that responsibility goes down to the rank of Corporal for the most part.
If it turns out they where literally negligient in performing their duties during patrols then they must be punished accordingly. Two many honorable soldiers and Marines have died in the liberation of Iraq and this SASO to bring freedom and stablility to the Iraqi people.
All most likely serving with honor and duty bound to follow the ROE. If these terrible crimes alleged against them turn out to be the case. Then God have mercy on them.
They must be tried and punished according to the appropriate articles under the JMCJ.
Sadly, despite what in some areas appear to still be perhaps contradictory, it sure appears a few of them turned from good to bad soldiers. Sad. Very sad.
I suspect the AP is not pulling off a doctored report at this point in time.

[Dustbunny]

Rape and murder is rape and murder and there is no excuse good enough to justify it.