I served with Bales for three years as his Platoon Leader. He is an absolutely outstanding Soldier, and what has transpired here is so out of character, I don't even know where to start. Please keep his wife and two young kids in your thoughts and prayers. He needs help. Hopefully he'll get it.
This man is a victim of the policies originating in the Pentagon, on Capitol Hill and in the White House.
Just a terrible situation. Will pray for his family. Thanks for letting us know.
Heartwrenching. I hope he gets a fair trail and the medical help he deserved BEFORE he was shipped out for a fourth tour! just can’t imagine the horror.
Wonder how much of his foot was lost? also, conflicting stories on the brain injury..”During the suspect’s time in Iraq, Browne said, the soldier was injured twice. A battle-related injury required surgery to remove part of one foot, the lawyer said.
But Browne and government officials differ in their portrayal of a second injury, to the soldier’s head, in a vehicle accident.
A government official said this week that the accident was not related to combat. But Browne said the man suffered a concussion in an accident caused by an improvised explosive device.
Browne also said his client was “highly decorated,” but did not provide any specifics
When you have an illegitimate Commander-in-Chief who is most certainly a Moslem who single-handedly destabilized Libya and established the Moslem Brotherhood as the de facto government, and is in the process of doing the same thing in Syria, you can pretty much expect stuff like this.
They were all with the 3d Stryker Brigade Combat Team. That's the Army's first ever Stryker Brigade. He went with them on their first deployment to Mosul in Northern Iraq. That one BDE relieved the entire 101st Airborne Division. Not only that, but Strykers had never been used in combat, so they had to figure that all out on the fly as well.
I got to the company right as they came back from Iraq. I can tell you for certain, Bales stood out immediately as a go-to guy. He was an E-4 (Specialist) at the time but quickly got promoted to Sergeant and took over my 1st Squad, Alpha Team. He is VERY smart, very intense, and was just everything you could want in a Team Leader. He knew when to be relaxed, and he knew when to be hard. He could joke around with guys during down-time, then be 100% business on a mission.
He saved my Stryker during one particular engagement. We had been in Mosul for months (this was his second deployment, my first). When you're in an area for that long, you can easily let your guard down when you NEVER take contact. Bales, however, was always on his game. We were checking out an area in a fairly tight alleyway, and he pulled security directly to the rear of the vehicle from his hatch. I was talking to my commander over the radio when I heard Bales yell "RPG!" and then immediately open fire. By the time I had even dropped into my hatch, he had shot the RPG shooter, causing the RPG to fly high and miss my vehicle. They caught the guy later that day getting treated for a GSW in an Iraqi hospital.
That second deployment was hell. It was Jul 2006-Sept 2007, 15 months, during the height of the insanity in that country. We got bounced around all over the country after we left Mosul. Constant stress, always waiting to be blown up or ambushed--AQI, Iraqi Army, Iraqi Police, who knew? In our last three months, we were in a neighborhood called Dora. Just in the first week we had six Strykers destroyed and over 40 people wounded. Bales was rock-solid the entire time.
Bales was frequently the lead guy in the door whenever we conducted a raid (we did about 50 of them). He never complained, he wanted to be there for his guys. A tremendous NCO.
I honestly don't care what comes out of this, b/c I know who he is. I just hope that you all will keep this in mind when you see the inevitable character assassination on TV news.
He is in my prayers as well as he family. Very sad.
Soldiers are expendable.
bump
Thanks for your firsthand perspective. I’m just praying that his family was placed in some sort of witness protection program before the idiots released his name.
Something is dreadfully wrong w/what is currently happening in Afghanistan ...the lengthy delay in releasing the info about the young Marine L/Cpl who was assassinated while on guard duty by an Afghan soldier; the disarming of the Marines who attended the SECDEFs briefing. Foremost, this experienced, decorated NCO, w/a recent history of TBI, 4th combat tour in SWA; whom you acknowledge is a stellar troop, the day after witnessing a friend horribly mutilated suddenly goes berserk and apparently w/o warning kills over a dozen Afghan civilians.
We aren't getting the whole story behind this and there are some major failures of senior leadership going on over there. (Not to mention the WH and the “Puzzle Palace”)
Incidentally, I heard Bales’ lawyer on TV this morning and he categorically denies that Bales was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incident and that there is no truth to the allegation that Bales had or has “family problems” as was “leaked” to the press.
Glad to hear Bales family has been relocated to a secure location.
My favorite pic of Bales. My Stryker vehicle commander had a feeling we were going to get hit with an IED on that particular patrol. Bales and I both bet him $0.50 we'd get through just fine. When we reached the next FOB without any issue, my VC tore a $1 bill in half and gave us each one. This was our celebratory photo.
I have a USMC son at Leatherneck right now. He is 2nd Battalion 4th Regiment. It is possible he was one of the 200 US Marines Panetta disarmed before talking to them the other day. My son has been through some heavy fighting and lost a number of comrades. I get the impression from the few communications we have received that indeed our troops are fighting with their hands tied behind their backs compliments of the socialist turncoat in the Oval Office.
Thank You for your service.
Prayers out from me for this man, his family and friends. Whatever happened, this is a truly aweful thing that has touched many lives. You are right to support the man you know him to be, he will need people like you to speak up for him. Others may not agree- but I will not judge him, not my place.
Thank you both for your service.
I posted this today on another thread before Sgt. Bales’ name was released and I am posting it again, verbatim.
“A slight tangent, if I may, on this article. I have been giving a lot of thought about the Staff Sgt. accused of killing the Afghan civilians.
In short, I blame, his superiors and the Pentagon for what happened. This is the story of a soldier twice wounded in the service of his country, including a brain injury. The brain injury, alone, should have disqualifid him from further duty, whether in a war zone or a stateside assignment.
However, the issue goes beyond that - WELL beyond that. 3 tours of duty in Iraq and 1 in Afghanistan shows that the reduction in the military begun by Clinton and continued with Obama has proven disastrous. These fine folks have been over used and repeatedly sent back to wars that the generals aren’t allowed to fight as real wars. Instead, we are seeing “politically correct” wars instead of open warfare such as was conducted during WWII. Our troops are paying the price of this foolishness and this SSGT. is the poster child.
With the drawdown of regular military that Clinton initiated, the Pentagon has relied too frequently on the reserves to fight the Iraq and Afghan wars. These folks are tired and “shell shocked” (to use the older WWII term for today’s PTSD).
I don’t doubt that the SSGT. cracked under the stress, but I don’t believe that it is entirely his fault. The Army in general, the Pentagon and, certainly Obama, all share the blame and need to be held equally or more accountable.”
I will add that SSgt. Bales has likely been overexposed to the ugliest side of human nature - that of war. It changes all of us who have been once. I can’t imagine going back for the 4th time.
Prayers for all including FSE. This will unfold and the truth will be out. Whatever comes, bless both of you for your service and love of country.
FSE, thank you for the information. We will keep this soldier and his family in our prayers. Thank you very much for your service!
Thank you for the personal note. I did one tour - just one - in 2007 before retiring. Some of the Army guys I worked with were already on their third tour there. The BGD/CC was starting his FOURTH - in 2007!
I cannot imagine the stress we’ve continued to put these soldiers thru. It is heartbreaking to see...from a retired USAF officer perspective.
My son finished a tour there in December. He hopes to get out before going again (Army Guard). My son-in-law was Marine Infantry. He did two tours, and got out. It is too much to ask men to go there time after time after time...
Amen
May God bless him and his family
AND
Thank you for your service son