A U.S. soldier stationed at a military base infamous for its many problems is alleged to have massacred Afghan civilians. Four soldiers from the same base have already been convicted of murder.
The U.S. military newspaper Stars and Stripes reports that the soldier suspected of killing 16 Afghan civilians was stationed at an installation known for having many problems. About 100,000 soldiers and civilians are stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in the state of Washington, one of the largest military installations in the United States.
Four soldiers from that base have already been convicted of murder for shooting three Afghans to death and removing their teeth and fingers to keep as souvenirs. A Lewis-McChord soldier shot a Utah police officer in 2010; on Jan. 1, 2012, a 24-year-old veteran of the Iraq war murdered a park ranger in Mount Rainier National Park before he died of exposure trying to escape.
In addition, a number of Lewis-McChord soldiers who returned from deployment to combat zones have committed suicide. Despite stepped-up suicide prevention training, 12 soldiers committed suicide last year and another nine did so the year before that. According to reports in the Seattle Times, more than 300 cases diagnosed as post-traumatic stress disorder were reclassified. The U.S. Army is now investigating whether physicians had been pressured to do so because of the increased costs of health care and pensions for those discharged for medical reasons.
One informant told Associated Press that the suspected shooter was a regular soldier assigned to support Special Operations troops in southern Afghanistan who were there to increase stability and security in surrounding towns. The soldier is said to have acted alone and independently when he left his compound and opened fire on civilians in two nearby villages.
There was no confirmation at the time as to whether the sergeant was a member of the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division that was deployed for 12 months to Afghanistan. The brigade took part in three deployments to Iraq since 2003. This was their first deployment to Afghanistan. A spokesperson for the Lewis-McChord installation said she was not authorized to reveal whether the soldier in custody had been assigned to that installation near Seattle.
Lewis-McChord has experienced rapid growth since the 9/11 terrorist attacks. A spokesperson for the command group stated that every installation of such size has problems where a relatively small number of isolated incidents reflect negatively on the whole base.
“It’s another blow to this community,” said Specialist Jared Richardson. “This is definitely something we don’t need.” He added that the vast majority of the tens of thousands of soldiers at the base were professionals and that it was unfortunate that such things kept recurring. But such events will continue as long as the war goes on.
America’s military elite will just never give up trying to make war useful again. And ordinary Americans — especially brave ones — will just have to pay the price. But the highest price of all is paid by hundreds of thousands — perhaps millions — of victims of these last two fiascoes.
What has the US got out of its war against the Afghans? The BTC, an horrendously expensive gas pipeline that runs through about four potential war zones on its way to Europe.
How much oil did the US get in exchange for its $3 trillion war against Iraq? Not very much. China has obtained a bazillion times more energy from central Asia simply by lavishly investing in central Asia’s development.
O, the advantages of not having a very imposing war machine!
America’s military elite will just never give up trying to make war useful again. And ordinary Americans — especially brave ones — will just have to pay the price. But the highest price of all is paid by hundreds of thousands — perhaps millions — of victims of these last two fiascoes.
What has the US got out of its war against the Afghans? The BTC, an horrendously expensive gas pipeline that runs through about four potential war zones on its way to Europe.
How much oil did the US get in exchange for its $3 trillion war against Iraq? Not very much. China has obtained a bazillion times more energy from central Asia simply by lavishly investing in central Asia’s development — without sending in any soldiers.
O, the advantages of not having a very imposing war machine!