Soldier says he was ordered to delete Fort Hood video (Want proof politics entering military?)

wash times ^ | 10/15/10 | Angela K. Brown and Michael Graczyk

[bestintxas]

A soldier says he shot cell phone video during last year's Fort Hood deadly rampage but that an officer ordered him to delete the footage.

Under cross examination Friday, Pfc. Lance Aviles has told a military court that he deleted the two videos at the direction of his NCO on the same day as the shooting, Nov. 5.

Friday is the third full day of testimony at the Article 32 hearing to decide if Maj. Nidal Hasan, the 40-year-old American-born Muslim charged with 13 counts of premeditated murder and 32 counts of attempted premeditated murder at Fort Hood, should stand trial.

Witnesses have already described how they saw Hasan open fire, shoot rapidly and reload at least one laser-sighted handgun in a medical processing center at the Texas Army post.

[enraged]

My first thought too, that it would be on you-boob or a jihdi’s playlist with in a week.

[TXnMA]

That was my first thought: Why didn't that room full of combat trained troops dogpile that single shooter -- using chairs, tables, etc. as missiles and shields?

My very first reaction: "This was an abject failure of Army training!"

[Ann Archy]

WHAT”S HIS NAME???

[Minus_The_Bear]

• Why is the PFC's name mentioned but the NCO's name is not?
• Why was the NCO allowed to order the destruction of evidence? Sounds like obstruction or even accessory to murder.
• Where is the phone now? Can the file be recovered

[subterfuge]

I don’t think you people are “getting it.”

You see, SOME MINERS WERE RESCUED FROM A HOLE YESTERDAY!!!!

Nothing to see here so just move along!

[StonyBurk]

Most of my fellow enlisted back 69-77 were trained to obey
orders from their superiors first—and ask questions later.
What the em should have done— or might have done as rear view
mirror speculation is mental exercise and fun but not much help.

[Joe 6-pack]

"Most of my fellow enlisted back 69-77 were trained to obey orders from their superiors first—and ask questions later. What the em should have done— or might have done as rear view mirror speculation is mental exercise and fun but not much help."

Most of my NCOs, when I was commissioned from 91-00 were trained not to destroy evidence of criminal activity or give illegal orders.

[Captain Rhino]

You are entitled to your opinion. It isn’t mine.

[Captain Rhino]

A sargeant has no authority to decide the value or emotional impact of this.

Absolutely correct. The sergeant didn't have the authority. All he had was his experience in dealing with teenaged and slightly older soldiers and how they use and abuse all the personal communications technology they have access to these days.

Thisshould have been a command decision.

Absolutely agree and said that it should have been preserved as evidence at the beginning of my original post.

They were’nt in a war zone, there was time to make a measured decision about this.

Absolutely agree. I'm always calm and deliberate in the aftermath of having a dozen or more of my comrades (or their family members) murdered in cold blood and having several dozen more seriously wounded. Yep, I'm always calm and deliberate, always thinking things out real thoroughly before doing anything. Yep, that's me.

I find it deeply troubling.

You are entitled to your opinion. Its not mine.

[SandRat]

That Officer is a Noncommisioned Officer, a Sergeant. Hopefully, soon to be a slick sleeve private for giving an unlawful order to destroy evidence.

[bestintxas]

Of. Course UR.

If it prevailed, more Americans would die,though.

[Captain Rhino]

Keep up your fulminations concerning conspiracies at the highest levels.

As for me, after serving 23 years in the Marine Corps as an enlisted Marine and as an officer, I'll keep my own counsel on what was probably an almost spontaneous act done by two low ranking enlisted soldiers while in a highly charged emotional state.

Semper Fi, Mac. (In every sense of the phrase.)

[Fundamentally Fair]

Note to Angela, Michael, and unnamed editors to learn about the difference between “officer” and NCO.

Thanks...

[bestintxas]

I commend your service.

[Apparatchik]

You are certainly entitled to your opinion about what probably happened, whether it was a spot decision by an NCO (with either pure or nefarious intentions) or an order from higher. But we will never know unless there is an investigation into the order to delete the video.

I will reserve my judgment once we learn more about the NCO who gave the order.