Official: Battalion commander dead in Fort Bragg shooting

MSNBC ^ | 06/30/2012 | MSNBC

[izzatzo]

Updated at 7:38 p.m. ET: A soldier is dead and two others injured following a shooting Thursday afternoon at Fort Bragg in North Carolina, according to a statement released by the post. A senior U.S. defense official told NBC News that the deceased victim was a battalion commander.

[baileybat]

http://www2.nbc17.com/news/2012/jun/29/nbc-news-ft-bragg-shooter-was-facing-court-martial-ar-2395969/
The other soldiers involved in the shooting have not been identified. NBC News reported that the soldier accused of shooting and killing his commander faced court martial and possible discharge due to criminal charges.

NBC News, citing U.S. military officials, said the shooter shot his battalion commander and firing three shots to the head and two shots to the chest before turning the gun on himself. The shooter is not expected to survive, according to NBC News.

The shooting happened around 3:30 p.m. at the corner of Letterman and Armistead streets. A third soldier was slightly wounded in the incident.

[Harold Shea]

I was a wreck after spending a year in VN...I hate to think

Of having to keep going back again and again.I could’t have

Handled it I don’t think

Civilians don’t understand the stress in puts on the troops

Thank you for your long service Sgt

[Tammy8]

The multiple deployments are a major issue, there is more going on too. According to some friends in the Army there is a huge shift going on right now away from promoting “combat” Officers/NCOs to promoting and giving good assignments to those that grabbed schools, avoided deployments, and kissed butt since 9/11. Leadership is now more concerned with grooming standards, classes, non-combat issues- even in a combat zone. Soldiers who have excelled in combat are now being given the short end of the stick.

It is bad enough that our combat soldiers have been deployed over and over- stressed out, marriages and other relationships falling apart from the strain. Now they are being treated as though their sacrifices have been for nothing.

[KC_Lion]

Your making my point for me.

When you look at the people in a public place at say Walmart, do you get the feeling that they care about the troops? How the war affects their lives or how the average day concerns of Citizen USA compares to what happens over in Kandahar?

Or how about the Illegal's who stream in to this country to take advantage of it, do you think they care about this shooting?

Or even our god King Barak Hussein Ubama II or Chief Justice Roberts-Do you think they consider what happened in the Second Battle of Fallujah and how it effected the Men who were there?

I wasn't trying to offend anyone, just the lack of caring for this and The Fort Hood shooting which was swept under the rug for obvious reasons.

[moovova]

“You are an ass.”

Yep...sometimes...

But, you’re just stupid if you don’t think that’s a possibility in today’s military.

[QT3.14]

As quoted by somebody in the past, PC is intellectual AIDS; everthing it touches it sickens and kills.

The gay issue along with the military being feminized and emasculated also has to be in play.

Also noted is the increase of suicides.

[Half Vast Conspiracy]

...525th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade, which is a reconnaissance and intelligence unit, according to its Facebook page.

According to Facebook? That's some quality reporting there.

[Hulka]

Looking at a photo of him, he already bled for his country (Purple Heart).

Gets wounded overseas only to return to the states where he gets killed.

(Odd that no details of the shooter are provided. Using MSM guidelines this usually means the shooter is likely a ROP member and/or a minority. We may be wrong.)

Prayers for him, his family and his men.

[Hulka]

You are still an ass.

To cast aspersions absent any indications of fact, to insult the honor, dignity and integrity of this man is to spit on his selfless record of service and assault his character.

To infer without a shred of fact or indication is to attack his reputation as an honorable married man and dedicated father.

To wildly throw out the “possible” as justification is to act irrationally and childishly. Your remarks also reveal your true feeling (not thoughts) towards those who serve and sacrifice. . .to include their family.

Using your “logic,” all servicemen who serve (and those that die) are “possible” homosexuals. Are you sure you are not a member of the Westboro Baptist Church?

You can:
a) provide a snarky reply in a childish effort to defend your remarks and prove to the world you are an immature juvenile ass or
b) agree your post was uncalled for and in error.

I’m betting you will select option “a” and prove me right.

[Sarajevo]

According to some friends in the Army there is a huge shift going on right now away from promoting “combat” Officers/NCOs to promoting and giving good assignments to those that grabbed schools, avoided deployments, and kissed butt since 9/11.

Those who take the challenging combat assignments are accused of "hiding behind a rucksack". The REMF's and boot-wigglers generally get promotions because they put themselves in a position to rub elbows with others occupying safe, cozy positions in a "command". I once had the displeasure of sitting in a one hour long class on "How to Attain the Rank of SGM in less than 20 years". The speakers' presentation had only allocated 18-24 months of team time, the rest was staff time.

[izzatzo]

“...or is it another reason?”

Agreed, the Services are/have been a laboratory for social experimentation, my initial thought was that this was a result of one of those experiments having gone awry, but maybe not. Actually, I can handle this scenario better than I could one that resulted from social experimenting with the services, but no scenario with this result is acceptable.

[izzatzo]

“...confused, watered-down, muddled.”

That’s what concerns me and caused me to speculate that this incident might have been a result of recent changes/events, all unacceptable, IMHO.

[moovova]

You’re wrong.

[Jeff Chandler]

No name or photo of the alleged shooter, just the fact that he served for eight years, worked in the motor pool and is accused of theft.

I don’t know what we can glean from this.

No name or photo? That usually indicates that the alleged perpetrator belongs to some special, protected class. Now what kind of name would the brass—especially under President Bobo—NOT want associated with such an act? Hmmm...

[Jeff Chandler]

More info:

Other soldiers rushed the shooter, who was shot in the head in the ensuing struggle and critically wounded

Accidentally, I'm sure.

Officials said the shooter had been an Army specialist for 8 years ... . That specialist had also been a member of the security detail in Afghanistan for the officer killed Thursday.

Maybe he didn't actually work in the motor pool. How are people selected for security details? I mean what particular skills are needed for security details in Afghanistan?

[izzatzo]

We are on the same page.

[Jeff Chandler]

Linguist? Subject Matter Expert?

[no-to-illegals]

Thanks katana. Will use your link.

[PapaBear3625]

Fort Bragg shooter ID'ed as :

Spc. Ricky G. Elder, 27, of Hutchinson, Kan., died Saturday at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center, a nursing supervisor at the hospital confirmed to the Fayetteville (N.C.) Observer.

Elder was facing court-martial for larceny charges after he allegedly stole a $1,700 toolkit at Fort Bragg, military officials said.

Elder's lawyer, Les Hulnick, of Wichita, Kan., told the Observer his client had a pending court case in Kansas. Elder had pleaded guilty to a felony charge of aggravated battery for punching a woman in the face at a bar. Hulnick said Elder was due in Reno County court in Kansas Friday for his sentencing hearing.

Sounds like somebody who should never have been accepted into the Army in the first place.

Ricky Elder from high school yearbook.

[no-to-illegals]

Thanks Hulka. You tried.

moovova, here is another one that believes your post was uncalled for. Am praying you are long gone by the time this goes to the screen. If you are still here, by all I believe your post was uncalled for and you should make an apology. If you are not here, the powers that be made the correct decision.