Posted on 09/28/2015 1:29:31 PM PDT by robowombat
Green Beret Discharged for Body-Slamming Alleged Child Rapist Breaks Silence, Provides New — and Graphic — Details on Why He Felt Compelled to Act
Sep. 28, 2015 12:54pm Kaitlyn Schallhorn
The Green Beret who is set to be involuntarily discharged in early November has finally spoken out about the situation that caused his punishment in the first place — his intervening on behalf of an Afghan boy who was being repeatedly raped.
“Kicking me out of the Army is morally wrong and the entire country knows it,” Sgt. 1st Class Charles Martland said in his first public statement, which was provided to Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.) who is advocating on the serviceman’s behalf.
Rep. Duncan Hunter wrote a letter to Defense Secretary Ash Carter, asking that he review the "involuntary discharge" of Sgt. First Class Charles Martland. (Image source: KUSA-TV) Rep. Duncan Hunter wrote a letter to Defense Secretary Ash Carter, asking that he review the “involuntary discharge” of Sgt. First Class Charles Martland, above. (Image source: KUSA-TV) In the statement obtained by Fox News, Martland detailed the day in 2011 that he and his team leader started a fight with local police commander Abdul Rahman who allegedly raped a young boy multiple times. According to a separate statement from the team leader, Capt. Daniel Quinn, Rahman allegedly kept a young boy tied to a pole in his house where he raped him repeatedly from 10 days to two weeks. Rahman’s brother was instructed to beat the child’s mother when she attempted to intervene, which he did.
Martland called Rahman a “brutal rapist” and said he and Quinn confronted him after confirming the allegations with several elders.
Rahman admitted to the act and ”the child rapist laughed it off and referenced that it was only a boy,” Martland said.
“Captain Quinn picked him up and threw him,” Martland said. “I [proceeded to] body slam him multiple times.”
“I kicked him once in his ribcage after one of the body slams,” Martland said in the statement. “I put my foot on his neck and yelled at him after one body slam, but did not kick or punch him in the face. I continued to body slam him and throw him for 50 meters until he was outside the camp.”
In his statement, Quinn said he physically threw Rahman off the camp through the front gates.
“He was never knocked out, and he ran away from our camp. It did not last longer than 5 minutes. The child rapist’s allegations against us are ridiculous,” Martland said.
After an investigation into the incident, Quinn and Martland were removed from the Afghan outpost. Quinn has since left the Army, but Martland is faced with an involuntary leave on Nov. 1 due a military policy implemented amid budget cuts. Martland appealed the decision, but it has been denied.
“While I understand that a military lawyer can say that I was legally wrong, we felt a moral obligation to act,” Martland wrote in his statement.
Hunter has defended Martland’s actions, which Martland has argued were to protect the boy and American lives that were at risk.
“To intervene was a moral decision, and SFC Martland and his Special Forces team felt they had no choice but to respond,” Hunter wrote in the letter addressed to Defense Secretary Ashton Carter in August.
“Mr. Secretary, I personally ask that you review the details of this case and intervene immediately,” Hunter said. “SFC Martland stood up to a child rapist — which I am fully confident you believe is the right thing to do — and the fact that he will soon be involuntarily separated as a result is troubling.”
However, as Fox News reported, others have not defended the actions of Quinn and Martland.
Col. Steve Johnson, a U.S. commander stationed in Afghanistan during that time, appears to have defended the Army’s decision in a conversation on his LinkedIn page, according to Fox News.
“The entire operational Chain of Command supported the relief for cause and reprimand. Vigilantism is illegal in the United States and should not be condoned elsewhere,” Johnson wrote. “We should do our best to ensure that the accused is brought to justice legally and fairly — we should never take the law into our own hands (as Martland and Quinn did).”
Gen. John F. Campbell, commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, said in a statement last week that he is “absolutely confident that no such theater policy has ever existed here,” such as the one Lance Cpl. Gregory Buckley Jr. said forbade officers from intervening in child rape cases because it’s “their culture” before his death in 2012.
Here in the State of Arizona we can use lethal force to prevent the sexual molestation of a child.
That would be the civilized way to handle this violation.
What I interpret you saying is that descretion is the better part of valor. That may be in certain situations, but I believe in this case morality trumps wisdom. It may have been wise to ignore the deprivation of a child, but it wouldn't be moral.
Jesus said that who would give a child a stone when he asked for bread. It is incumbent to protect children, especially from Muslim perversions. If one doesn't, then one is no better than the perpetrator.
Their culture needs to evolve and stop doing evil things.
The corruption and evil is so widespread.
God’s going to get real tired of this shit.
If our leadership doesn’t turn around we’re in for big time judgement.
The military discharges this hero, but pays for Bradley Manning’s sex change operation. We have a Politically Correct military.
Sometimes, I don’t recognize the country I live in.
There was more uproar over Cecil the lion than there is over what muzzies do every single day to other human beings. Absolutely sickening.
And no wonder Putin is stepping into the void - American soldiers aren’t allowed to kick ass anyhow. It’s all so infuriating!
That's what happens when you don't celebrate diversity hard enough.
There is no act that makes the situation worse for the child here.
As for the pervert it would be better for him if he were fastened to a millstone and cast into the depths of the sea.
Beating him up is the worst of both worlds. You can BET that it has been taken out on the boy.
Colonel Johnson said: “The entire operational Chain of Command supported the relief for cause and reprimand.”
The whole chain of command, including Johnson, needs to stand trial for aiding and abetting a felony.
I would drum them out like the old TV series “Branded”.
I understand, you would like to think that... but the truth be told, the consequences on the boy are pretty obvious with anything that did not take the offender actually out of the picture.
BRAVE Republicans??? Like in the SENATE and HOUSE, BRAVE Republicans??? LOL!! There are a COUPLE, but the rest are GIRLIE MEN and too afraid to speak up!!! Hey TOM COTTON!!!
Ironic that military rape is very high on the list for psych training but then when those who respond against it are targets.
try again...Ironic that military rape is very high on the list for psych training but then those who respond against it become targets.
This would, at any rate, be justice.
Here is how this type of thing was handled in the past.
General Napier, a British officer, in response to the Indian practice of burning widows, ‘suttee’:
“You say that it is your custom to burn widows. Very well. We also have a custom: when men burn a woman alive, we tie a rope around their necks and we hang them. Build your funeral pyre; beside it, my carpenters will build a gallows. You may follow your custom. And then we will follow ours.”
Were I CIC I’d release this idiot Colonel on the spot and order both these men reinstated with back pay and an increase of one grade in rank.
L
“Vigilantism is illegal in the United States and should not be condoned elsewhere,” Johnson wrote. “We should do our best to ensure that the accused is brought to justice legally and fairly — we should never take the law into our own hands (as Martland and Quinn did).”
That may be part of the problem. There is a point at which those in charge are doing things worse than if there was no rule of law at all.
Perhaps vigilantism is needed there... and here.
Well, I don't know about the boy, but I think the soldiers acted with restraint. Sometimes action is what counts and the consequences be damned. If consequences weren't damned, then we wouldn't have a country today if the patriots were concerned with consequences.
Your statement is the easy way out and if everybody thought that then the world would be one hell of a place.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.