U.S. Army discharging decorated Green Beret after fight with Afghan commander
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Anonymous
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http://www.kusi.com/story/29847853/us-army-discharging-decorated-green-beret-after-fight-with-afghan-commander
SAN DIEGO (KUSI) - The U.S. Army is discharging a decorated Green Beret after an 11-year Special Forces career, after he got in trouble for shoving an Afghan commander accused of raping a boy and beating up his mother when she reported the incident. After learning an Afghan boy was raped and his mother beaten, Martland and his team leader confronted a local police commander they had trained, armed and paid with U.S. taxpayer dollars. When the man laughed off the incident, they physically confronted him. They were punished by the Army at the time -- but why exactly Martland is now being discharged is still a huge question. Army sources cited his accolades, including being named runner-up for 2014 Special Warfare Training Group Instructor of the Year from a pool of 400 senior leaders in Special Forces, in questioning the decision. |
Anonymous
| What an awful story. Yuck. |
Anonymous
| Confronted = assaulted |
Anonymous
| at least he knows he did the right thing, under the circumstances. he made a choice to intervene, and it was morally sound. |
Anonymous
Oh no? A child rapist and woman beater got "assaulted!" So when a real man defends a child a woman, you are offended? 
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Anonymous
| The keeping of these ' tea boys' is rampant in Afghanistan. There are many articles about this practice. Male female sexual relationships are repressive and men with means often turn to boys ( often dressed as girls) for gratification. I'm sure many of these boys are peddled /under duress. High ranking officials often travel with them, they are produced at wedding ceremonies etc. Our military has been asked constantly while there to look the other way in their dealings with these folks accompanied by their 'boys' as part of demonstrating cultural competence. This Green Beret's crime was to call attention to the elephant in the room. Talk about being set up to fail on principles. What exactly are the priorities of today's military under its civilian leadership? This Green Beret should be restored. Unless there is more to the story, he did the right thing here in stepping up for two vulnerable, heinously exploited people. |
Anonymous
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http://original.antiwar.com/vlahos/2010/04/12/a-deal-with-the-devil/
This is one of many articles - please dont question the source. I dont have time to do an exhaustive internet search for a completely neutral source - again, there are many. Sorry - not tea boys . Dancing boys ('bacha bazi). Talk about the irony in going after campus rape here but firing a decorated war hero for confronting it there. |
Anonymous
| Is the goal here to make America safe, or to stamp out distasteful practices in Afghanistan? Because the two are in conflict with each other. And if the goal is to eradicate pederasty in Afghanistan then we are going to need a hell of a lot more troops, and for many more decades, than anticipated... |
Anonymous
So, you believe that a soldier, when confronted with such a horrendous act, should turn his back? |
Anonymous
Yes they are in conflict which is why the military has generally turned a blind eye. But when you are thrust in the middle of it is reasonable to act. To punish him send entirely the wrong message to the rank and file over how we will bend over backwards for political expediency, the wrong message to afghans on what we expect from them in the long run, and the wrong message on rape and child traffiking. Our men and women in the military have had more raoe prevention training then possibly any group on the planet, but woe they follow through on it! |
Anonymous
Green Beret are different and a different mission. You can not do what he did as a GB. |
Anonymous
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Thats nonsense. Yes, all military were asked to work with partners who often kept dancing boys. However, they were often kept out of sight etc..this one crossed the line with vicious rape and attacking the mother. That is so NORMAL and accepted there, pushing him to the ground was the only way to convey it was not acceptable to his US partners. The guy was laughing in disbelief because that is the NORM. The green beret push was the 'language' it took. Do green berets embed, form partnerships etc? Sure. I'm sure this experienced guy knew better than us if it endangered the mission or not to communicate that boy rape and mother beating is a no-go. If he did violate the mission, pull him out - dont fire him. He surely upheld our standards, ones military personnel there are constantly asked to back shelve.
The irony - schools for girls and keep the boys as sex slaves . What a messed up world. |
Anonymous
Well the army does not think he upheld the standards, but you know better.
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Anonymous
I can think of a lot of other words for raping children and "distastedful practices" is not on that list. |
Anonymous
Yes, I do. I know when the military decides to spit you out you don't stand a chance. I know there are a lot of contradictions between military guidelines and the actions they expect. I know civilian leadership over Afghanistan has been to set military on the ground up to fail, repeatedly. I know there was an article in the Post yesterday about the failure to take responsibility by mil brass for the totally preventable green on green killing of a general in Afghanistan. I know its all about expediency and appearance. Yes, I do know better . This war HERO deserves his day. |