Posted on 10/25/2007 9:17:47 AM PDT by Tennessean4Bush
The story of General Petraeus getting accidentally shot in the chest is a case in point. One of his own soldiers had pulled the trigger. Normally, something very bad would have happened to that soldier and his commander. Instead Petraeus sent that soldier to Ranger School, and his Captain (Fred Johnson) was promoted early. In June, I witnessed LTC Fred Johnson helping to restore security and rebuild Baqubah. Fred Johnson is a believer in second chances.
Some months ago, a soldier in Baghdad wrote a piece on the way war can degrade the morals and affect the judgment of combat soldiers. His story was published at face-value in The New Republic magazine. In it the soldier wrote terrible things about his unit, making the article sensational.
I was in Iraq when it first hit the stands and someone asked me about the plausibility of the events described in the article. I skimmed the story but it did not even pass a simple sniff-test. With a shooting war going on, there is no time for trivial pursuits, so my only comment was something like, “It sounds like a bunch of garbage.” Turned out it was.
The soldier’s name was Beauchamp. He’d tried to hide his identity, but poor Beauchamp had no idea that the blog world would get on his trail and tree him like a coon. Beauchamp crawled up to the top of that tree, looked down into the snarling spotlight, and suddenly knew he was caught. His simple mask was no more effective than a coon’s, and that in itself might provide a little insight into how deeply Beauchamp had thought this all through. In any case, he was up in that tree, surrounded by hounds who’d done this plenty of times, yet always found this...
(Excerpt) Read more at michaelyon-online.com ...
I don’t need to read them. I expect that the personnel charged with investigating this case are familiar with them, though.
The people involved, the people that are there, close to the scene, who know the facts, came to a determination. I’m comfortable with letting them do their job.
They don’t need me, half a world away, to tell them what they should do.
Of course, we’re all entitled to our own opinion. You may be proven right in the end.
It just seems to me you are pretty certain about the case, and can’t possibly know the details like the investigating officer. You do have to admit that the people on the scene know more about the situation than you.
I am sending some money to Yon today because he ANSWERED the question as to what happened to Beauchamp!! Thanks Michael!
I’m a Catholic, so I appreciate the second chance the Military gave this cretin....I’ll bet he writes a positive story about his second chance.
If LTC Glaze wants to forgive him that's his business, just don't give me the whopper that he's paying for his mistakes! He has done nothing in that regard yet!
He can't pay for his mistakes by being a soldier and doing what his comrades have always been doing in theater. This would be akin to me screwing up on the job and saying to my boss. "OK, I'm sorry, please allow me to make my restitution by returning to my job and doing it right!
Then please explain to me what you know about the situation that the local commanders don’t.
Do you really want to run a war from 10,000 miles away, by half-informed citizens? Or would you prefer those on the scene do it? I’m taking door #2.
Exactly where it belongs.
It ain't called "raccoon huntin'".
Nor does one use raccoonhounds...
“Let’s give General Arnold a second chance, General Washington. I mean, he was a good officer, right up until that one little mistake....”
I have never served in the military and no family that is in active service so I will hold my words on Beauchamp, but as far as The New Republic goes, they knew what they were getting.
“I’m saving the majority of my scorn for the morons at the New Republic who are all too eager to believe anything that puts America in a bad light.....”
BINGO!!The so-called editor of that chicken-yellow rag had a duty to contact Beauchamp’s chain of command before publishing such ......a duty to the unit maligned, a duty to their readers,and a duty to the country where such soldiers guarantee their rights to free speech.
I know enough about the case and the UCMJ to feel comfortable with my opinion.
I am also, regrettably, all too aware of the propensity of many in the modern officer corps (particularly JAG types) to follow PC dictates.
I’ve seen no mitigating information in this case and think that the freaking traitor ought to be prosecuted to the fullest extent.
I’m an old school hard-ass, spit-shined, squared away and 4.0. Punks like this Beauchamp are a pimple on the ass of our military and they should be popped at the soonest opportunity.
The world needs gentle and optimistic souls like you.
However, I’m a warrior and say that he needs to be squashed. Legally.
No. You, like me, are merely opinionated. I maintain we aren’t there, and have to let the people who are there do their jobs.
If you or I were really more than that, we would be there doing the job. But we’re not. As O’Rielly might say, we’re bloviating.
An old school hard ass would be doin’ instead of talkin’.
Did I say anything about the local commanders being wrong? Who are you talking to?
Been there and done it.
May be back there as a civilian in the next 18 or so months. Although, this time around I’ll have dirt under my feet and will be fixing the weapons instead of manning them.
I may be guilty of a few things, but bloviating is not one of them.
While he certainly made a huge mistake, I'm impressed that he stayed with his unit, and is paying for that mistake. He just went up a few notches in my eyes.
The New Republic is still a bunch of limp-wristed, lying cowards. I hope one day they pay dearly for this.
Thank you for the post and the ping!
Thank you Michael Yon.
Kiss my @ss New Republic Magazine.
I’m talking to you. If you read the story, you realize his commander was continuing to let him serve, and was even being ‘protective’ of him.
I suspect he knows best, is all I’m saying. Of course he could be wrong, but he’s in a better position to decide than you or I. I just want the guys on the scene to decide. That’s my only point.
I can assure you, my level of disgust with his idiotic actions are very high, as well.
My hat is off to you, you have both my respect and best wishes.
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