Army kicking out decorated Green Beret who stood up for Afghan rape victim

[glebo]

Originally Posted by Old Dog New Trick

Fixed that for you. (Doesn't he have like 14-years?) 1SG in an Infantry BN sounds better than what command group did for him.

Congrats SFC Martland, I'm happy for you now burn that bridge an move forward.

This, I'd say switch branches and screw SF.. (Sadly)..With the NON support he got from the CoC, I wouldn't stick around..

[TrapLine]

Great news. I am glad he gets to make the decision on staying or going. He has earned that and much more, IMO.

[Golf1echo]

Excellent!
I have a sneaky suspicion a fair share of political pressure was applied

Best to SFC Martland, despite the failures others stepped up to make this right.

[abc_123]

A just outcome, finally for SFC Martland. However a total disaster all the way around and unnessary angst for him and his family. Sadly this and other past incidents from the GWOT hould serve as a reminder that no matter how much one loves the Army... it doesn't have to love you back.

[Team Sergeant]

nambla is not happy with the outcome.

[Basenshukai]

So, now that SFC Martland got the proper outcome, who were the leaders in the chain of command that championed his undoing? It's always amazing how those most responsible for this disaster (WRT public relations, morale, ethics, morality, etc.) are completely unknown to anyone outside. They should be held accountable for such poor vision and judgement.

[Utah Bob]

Originally Posted by Basenshukai

So, now that SFC Martland got the proper outcome, who were the leaders in the chain of command that championed his undoing? It's always amazing how those most responsible for this disaster (WRT public relations, morale, ethics, morality, etc.) are completely unknown to anyone outside. They should be held accountable for such poor vision and judgement.

Exactly! Some serious gonad stomping should happen. But most probably won't. Finding accountability these days is about as easy as spotting Bigfoot.

[Razor]

IIRC, wasn't Chris Haas the GO that put the initial GOMAR in his file? That was the genesis of this whole fiasco, I believe.

Yup, just found an excerpt from the GOMAR that was publicized:

“Your behavior is inexcusable and incompatible with the high standards of performance, military discipline, and operational readiness of Special Forces and it is inconsistent with the trust we place in our [Green Berets] to make sensible and sound decisions,” wrote Gen. Haas. “Your misconduct is a discredit to you…the Special Forces community, and the U.S. Army. It cannot and will not be tolerated.”

[cedsall]

Originally Posted by Razor

As I said before, after such a thorough screwing and abandonment by the chain of command and SF branch, were I SFC Martland I'd thank my supporters, celebrate with my brothers, then drop my retirement papers.

Looks like he still has a ways to retirement. According to the Fox News articles, he graduated SFQC in 2006 so if he joined around 2003/2004 he's got some time yet.

The latest Fox article says the ABCMR modified the RFC NCOER but it doesn't say anything about the memorandum of reprimand. That memorandum was written by a GO (BG Haas) so if it's still around, it will carry some weight if they didn't dispose of it along with the adverse NCOER.

All that said, it's good to know there's still some folks around who can make a right decision. I raise my glass to SFC Maitland for having the balls to stand up and do what's right. He's a hero.

[Team Sergeant]

Originally Posted by Razor

IIRC, wasn't Chris Haas the GO that put the initial GOMAR in his file? That was the genesis of this whole fiasco, I believe.

Yup, just found an excerpt from the GOMAR that was publicized:

“Your behavior is inexcusable and incompatible with the high standards of performance, military discipline, and operational readiness of Special Forces and it is inconsistent with the trust we place in our [Green Berets] to make sensible and sound decisions,” wrote Gen. Haas. “Your misconduct is a discredit to you…the Special Forces community, and the U.S. Army. It cannot and will not be tolerated.”

See there's already females in Special Forces! (or at least BG's that identify as such)

Let's see Brigadier General Christopher K. Haas "man-up" and remove that letter of reprimand.......

What am I thinking, this is the new Army, filled with fundamental change, where male confused genders rein and female unicorns are all the rage.

[Surf n Turf]

Originally Posted by Team Sergeant

Let's see Brigadier General Christopher K. Haas "man-up" and remove that letter of reprimand.......

It was also BG Haas who wrote the memo to Major Jim Gant. Odd coincidence that BG Haas would write up both of these now infamous incidents.

SnT

to quote from a memo by a Brig. Gen. Christopher Haas and sent to Gant in April of 2012:

During your time in command, you purposely and repeatedly endangered the lives of your Soldiers. You taught, and ordered executed, [SIC] unconventional and unsafe ‘figure-8’ immediate actions in response to enemy contact. You painted inappropriate and unauthorized symbols on Government vehicles, painted the symbol on your vehicle a different color, then challenged the enemy to try and kill you without consideration to your Service Members’ lives or well being. [SIC] You sent ‘night letters’ to the enemy, further drawing dangerous attention to yourself and subordinates. These are the same Soldiers that you have the duty to properly train, mentor, lead, and most importantly, defend.
http://freebeacon.com/culture/the-devil-and-jim-gant/

[Stobey]

I am happy for you SFC. Martland. But now I'd be tempted to tell the military chain-of-command to take a long walk off a short pier for putting me through that BS in the first place!

[Basenshukai]

Originally Posted by Surf n Turf

It was also BG Haas who wrote the memo to Major Jim Gant. Odd coincidence that BG Haas would write up both of these now infamous incidents.

SnT

Just curious, how many men died while in combat under MAJ Gant's command?

[Surf n Turf]

Originally Posted by Basenshukai

Just curious, how many men died while in combat under MAJ Gant's command?

Basenshukai,

The short answer is I don't know. The only reference I can find is from a newsweek article that quoted Gant. himself, so that is clearly not an unbiased source.

SnT

Despite Gant’s successes, he was stripped of his honors, demoted to a captain and forced to retire. The Army made no public announcement. "I never left the battlefield defeated,” Gant told ABC News. “I never lost a man.”

http://www.newsweek.com/report-green...anistan-356802

[Basenshukai]

Originally Posted by Surf n Turf

Basenshukai,

The short answer is I don't know. The only reference I can find is from a newsweek article that quoted Gant. himself, so that is clearly not an unbiased source.

SnT

This is the reason I ask. I was over there when Jim Gant was operational and never recall him losing a man. We never even have to evac his guys for any reason that I can recall. I can tell you, however, that quite a few other folks got themselves mauled doing what most would consider every day conventional tactics.