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Well, Gen. Conway apparrently did not approve of Col. Nicholson's comments. He was fine with the solatia payments and expressing sympathy for the deaths. But the way I read his comments, he did not approve of assuming their guilt so publicly before any investigations were complete.

Speaking of investigations, here's a link that indicates there was a coordinated attack with a SVBIED and small arms fire. Lawyers: Evidence backs MarSOC's claims

According to the lawyers who have seen the pictures (from the Army intelligence report), photos show shot up military vehicles. Their information is based on the ARMY's reports in this link. Also of interest in the link is info about a raid on April 29 of a suspected car bomb cell in Nangarhar, near where the Marines' convoy was attacked. The raid that killed 6 also sparked a large protest. Maybe the car bomb cell folks were innocent also?

You are quoting the lawyers for the defense, who have seen pictures. OK, we’ll see...but there was not a 7 mile wide ambush. THAT is what struck so many people there as unbelievable. And the folks I talked to had seen the vehicles, not pictures of them.

Yes, there are IEDs and VBIEDs in the area. I’m familiar with the Apr 29 raid, and I have NO doubt but that there are bad people who frequent the road. The entire road from Jalalabad to Torkham Gate is a potential site of IEDs.

I know Gen Conway did not like Col Nicholson’s comments. I’ve met Col Nicholson, and I’ve spent a lot of time with men who worked closely with him for several years. I have never encountered an officer more widely respected by the men who worked for him. Honesty and integrity are words very frequently used by officer and enlisted alike to describe him. He had full & first-hand access to all the investigation done by the Army. He would not have made the comments he made without good reason for, at the least, serious concern.

No, I’m not a lawyer. I have had experience with Marine Corps officers brazenly lying about mistakes within their command. One one occasion, they did it repeatedly and in spite of the documentation, and a half dozen officers in the squadron were fired...eventually. My oldest daughter joined the Marines with my support, but Marines are not incapable of lying to save their butts.

From your link, Girlene:

"Receipt of a Purple Heart award requires that a service member's actions following a distinguishing act are honorable," Gilmore said.

Does this mean that if I get caught peeing in a trash can cause one of my legs got blown off in combat and couldn't race to the outhouse in time, I don't get a Purple Heart?