U.S. Troops Posed With Body Parts Of Afghan Bombers

[Richard]

82nd in the news - here we go again...

Richard

U.S. Troops Posed With Body Parts Of Afghan Bombers
LATimes, 18 Apr 2012

The paratroopers had their assignment: Check out reports that Afghan police had recovered the mangled remains of an insurgent suicide bomber. Try to get iris scans and fingerprints for identification.

The 82nd Airborne Division soldiers arrived at the police station in Afghanistan's Zabol province in February 2010. They inspected the body parts. Then the mission turned macabre: The paratroopers posed for photos next to Afghan police, grinning while some held — and others squatted beside — the corpse's severed legs.

A few months later, the same platoon was dispatched to investigate the remains of three insurgents who Afghan police said had accidentally blown themselves up. After obtaining a few fingerprints, they posed next to the remains, again grinning and mugging for photographs.

Two soldiers posed holding a dead man's hand with the middle finger raised. A soldier leaned over the bearded corpse while clutching the man's hand. Someone placed an unofficial platoon patch reading "Zombie Hunter" next to other remains and took a picture.

The Army launched a criminal investigation after the Los Angeles Times showed officials copies of the photos, which recently were given to the paper by a soldier from the division.

"It is a violation of Army standards to pose with corpses for photographs outside of officially sanctioned purposes," said George Wright, an Army spokesman. "Such actions fall short of what we expect of our uniformed service members in deployed areas."

Wright said that after the investigation, the Army would "take appropriate action" against those involved. Most of the soldiers in the photos have been identified, said Lt. Col. Margaret Kageleiry, an Army spokeswoman.

(Cont'd) http://www.latimes.com/news/nationwo...,5032601.story

[MtnGoat]

Well that is what that unit and the Army along with the military gets for sending out a bunch out 18 to 20 year olds to do a grown UPS job. Like to see how many pictures ended up on social media sites. I feel every leader needs to be "FRIENDS" to their subordinates.

No one likes mud in their face. I'm surprised this didn't make the national news faster with the whole Colombian thing going on. More bad need for the military forces. From what is reported this happen during 82nd 2010 rotation.

[Eagle5US]

No doubt there will be some "validation" for the new CSM's tattoo policy as well with the one dude plastered full face and neck tattoo on proud display...

[69harley]

The brigade CSM for that rotation is retired now and lives almost across the street from me. Will be interesting to hear his take on this event. The 82nd is very reactionary, will be interesting to se their knee-jerk reaction to this.

[JimP]

Honestly - they posed with dead enemy. So what? These guys are to be congratulated, not shunned. and we wonder why we have such "issues" with our vets.

How about when the decision is made to send these guys to freakin' kill the enemy, we actually applaud them for it instead of trying to apply some gentlemen's sense of cocktail-propriety to the savage business of killing.

[Mustang Man]

I'm sure those soldiers like the rest of us were givin the death by powerpoint of what NOT TO DO on a deployment. This being obviously one, especially after Abu Ghraib... At the same time JimP makes a very good point. They should in no way be shunned yet they were most likely briefed on these sensitive types of things. So in the end I would say YES this was wrong doing and should face UCMJ. Yet In the end, I still applaud them on bagging n tagging the bad guys.

[Dusty]

We've gone from collecting ears to apologizing to our enemies for embarrassing them in public.

We're decaying from the disease of liberalism.

[JimP]

I've crossed the point where I will try to "avert my eyes" from such acts. Maybe if we acted as if war is exactly what is portrayed, our civilian "masters" wouldn't be so quick to send us on fools errands. Until such time as we actually sort out just what the hell it is we are doing over there, I support the soldiers in the business of killing. It is ugly. It is dirty and it is impolite. If you don't want to see the effects of the policies enacted on our troops....don't drag out bullshit wars. Support these young kids in what they do - they appear to be pretty good at it.

[cbtengr]

Originally Posted by JimP

I've crossed the point where I will try to "avert my eyes" from such acts. Maybe if we acted as if war is exactly what is portrayed, our civilian "masters" wouldn't be so quick to send us on fools errands. Until such time as we actually sort out just what the hell it is we are doing over there, I support the soldiers in the business of killing. It is ugly. It is dirty and it is impolite. If you don't want to see the effects of the policies enacted on our troops....don't drag out bullshit wars. Support these young kids in what they do - they appear to be pretty good at it.

Very well put.

[Surgicalcric]

Originally Posted by JimP

... These guys are to be congratulated, not shunned. and we wonder why we have such "issues" with our vets...

Exactly.

[MR2]

Originally Posted by JimP

I've crossed the point where I will try to "avert my eyes" from such acts. Maybe if we acted as if war is exactly what is portrayed, our civilian "masters" wouldn't be so quick to send us on fools errands. Until such time as we actually sort out just what the hell it is we are doing over there, I support the soldiers in the business of killing. It is ugly. It is dirty and it is impolite. If you don't want to see the effects of the policies enacted on our troops....don't drag out bullshit wars. Support these young kids in what they do - they appear to be pretty good at it.

[Eagle5US]

Originally Posted by Dusty

We've gone from collecting ears to apologizing to our enemies for embarrassing them in public.

We're decaying from the disease of liberalism.

A-fucking-MEN

[Richard]

Originally Posted by Dusty

We've gone from collecting ears to apologizing to our enemies for embarrassing them in public.

We're decaying from the disease of liberalism.

I'm confused with that statement. Are you implying that collecting ears was condoned and that we should give a 'bye' to people photographing themselves with dead bodies like some sort of 'what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas' way?

I don't think that's what you meant...but, personally, as a 60+ FOG, I think this kind of behavior is both stupid and wrong - especially after the Abu Ghraib fiasco - but I'm not a 21 YO without a fully developed forebrain involved in such situations anymore, either.

And so it goes...

Richard

[Eagle5US]

Originally Posted by Richard

I'm confused with that statement. Are you implying that collecting ears was condoned and that we should give a 'bye' to people photographing themselves with dead bodies like some sort of 'what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas' way?

I don't think that's what you meant...but, personally, as a 60+ FOG, I think this kind of behavior is both stupid and wrong - especially after the Abu Ghraib fiasco - but I'm not a 21 YO without a fully developed forebrain involved in such situations anymore, either.

And so it goes...

Richard

While I won't pretend to speak for him, I will say that we have indeed gone from "Kill the ENEMY and celebrate he fact that the sorry bastard is indeed DEAD...to "whatever you do, don't hurt the enemy's feelings because he is a person too. He has problems and his mortgage on his mud hut may be overdue, he is just a squirrel, trying to get his nut....he should be respected and admired and if, by some chance you are able to allow him some tranquility and honor (even though he is a coward who will not FIGHT you and instead plants IED's)...well, you should FEEL BAD THAT YOU TOOK HIS LIFE.

I, for one, an incredibly TIRED of the "politically correct war machine" and its ABSOLUTELY STUPID ROE that does little more than handcuff our service members and ultimately AID the enemy and KILLS our forces.

Stupid as clown shoes...

[Sigaba]

What will happen to civil-military relations if the general public concludes that the United States Army is not an institution that prioritizes values? <<LINK>>

If civilians accept the premise that "war is hell," will they be more inclined to value the lives of American soldiers, more tolerant of behavior they cannot understand, or will they be more likely to demonize soldiers like they did following the American Civil War and the Vietnam War?