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244913
I thought that I would throw this out there, to stimulate some discussion and reflection. This is a quotation from the closing scenes of Breaker Morant (1980) a fantastic Australian production dealing with the Boer War of 1899-1902 and, specifically, the shooting of Boer prisoners captured wearing British uniforms by Aussie troops. The following lines are delivered by the Australian Major Thomas (on detached duty) in his closing argument. He acted as counsel for his fellow countrymen during the trial.
"The fact of the matter is that war changes men's natures. The barbarities of war are seldom committed by abnormal men. The tragedy of war is that these horrors are committed by normal men in abnormal situations, situations in which the ebb and flow of everyday life have departed and have been replaced by a constant round of fear, and anger, blood, and death. Soldiers at war are not to be judged by civilian rules, as the prosecution is attempting to do, even though they commit acts which, calmly viewed afterwards, could only be seen as unchristian and brutal. And if, in every war, particularly guerilla war, all the men who committed reprisals were to be charged and tried as murderers, court martials like this one would be in permanent session. Would they not? I say that we cannot hope to judge such matters unless we ourselves have been submitted to the same pressures, the same provocations as these men, whose actions are on trial."
I think that this movie should be required viewing for anyone in the Service who deploys to Afghanistan, and moreso for the civilians whose opinions on the War are formed solely by what they read in the Washington Post and the NY Times.
SSG Bales did in fact commit a horrible atrocity. He should be held fully accountable and suffer the consequences, even if that means death. The problem I foresee is the narrative which will evolve from the undoubtedly lengthy trial. He will be accused of being a malcontent, a psychopath, or a PTSD/TBI addled unfortunate ultimately not accountable for his actions.
The truth is that I know of many NCO's who, on paper, are nearly identical to SSG Bales. Multiple deployments, divorces, arrests for DUI/assault, failed business ventures which prompted enlistment in the Army. What people should remember is that Bales was a decorated combat veteran, a squad leader who had proved his meddle during multiple deployments and was awarded an ARCOM with V for his actions in Iraq. He was no coward. He was also not a psychopath, nor was he disabled by the various mental health afflictions his counsel will cite in his defense. He made no effort to dodge his fourth deployment, as many in his situation might have done.
He, in my mind, was just another NCO exhausted by endless combat and the painful disintegration of his home life as a result. There are many more out there like him. This, to me, is the true cost of our forever wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and it is a cost which can never be quantified statistically. Given the nature of the War in Afghanistan- Panjawai is a very evil place- I am most astounded that atrocities like this have not occurred with more frequency, and on a greater scale.
"The tragedy of war is that these horrors (barbarities) are committed by normal men in abnormal circumstances."
- 61N
"The fact of the matter is that war changes men's natures. The barbarities of war are seldom committed by abnormal men. The tragedy of war is that these horrors are committed by normal men in abnormal situations, situations in which the ebb and flow of everyday life have departed and have been replaced by a constant round of fear, and anger, blood, and death. Soldiers at war are not to be judged by civilian rules, as the prosecution is attempting to do, even though they commit acts which, calmly viewed afterwards, could only be seen as unchristian and brutal. And if, in every war, particularly guerilla war, all the men who committed reprisals were to be charged and tried as murderers, court martials like this one would be in permanent session. Would they not? I say that we cannot hope to judge such matters unless we ourselves have been submitted to the same pressures, the same provocations as these men, whose actions are on trial."
I think that this movie should be required viewing for anyone in the Service who deploys to Afghanistan, and moreso for the civilians whose opinions on the War are formed solely by what they read in the Washington Post and the NY Times.
SSG Bales did in fact commit a horrible atrocity. He should be held fully accountable and suffer the consequences, even if that means death. The problem I foresee is the narrative which will evolve from the undoubtedly lengthy trial. He will be accused of being a malcontent, a psychopath, or a PTSD/TBI addled unfortunate ultimately not accountable for his actions.
The truth is that I know of many NCO's who, on paper, are nearly identical to SSG Bales. Multiple deployments, divorces, arrests for DUI/assault, failed business ventures which prompted enlistment in the Army. What people should remember is that Bales was a decorated combat veteran, a squad leader who had proved his meddle during multiple deployments and was awarded an ARCOM with V for his actions in Iraq. He was no coward. He was also not a psychopath, nor was he disabled by the various mental health afflictions his counsel will cite in his defense. He made no effort to dodge his fourth deployment, as many in his situation might have done.
He, in my mind, was just another NCO exhausted by endless combat and the painful disintegration of his home life as a result. There are many more out there like him. This, to me, is the true cost of our forever wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and it is a cost which can never be quantified statistically. Given the nature of the War in Afghanistan- Panjawai is a very evil place- I am most astounded that atrocities like this have not occurred with more frequency, and on a greater scale.
"The tragedy of war is that these horrors (barbarities) are committed by normal men in abnormal circumstances."
- 61N
