Hanging Out the Troops: Col Hackworth

[MSgt213]

As an American citizen, I’m ashamed of the atrocities committed by Americans in Iraq. As a former professional soldier, I’m appalled not only by what has happened in the prisons there, but also by our military leadership. From the very top of the Pentagon down to the 320th Military Police Battalion, the brass have spent months covering up obscene behavior while placing the sole blame on Joe and Jill Grunt.



The damage to our country and our just war on terrorism is already devastating. And these war crimes not only diminish the sacrifices of our gallant soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan, they place the troops at even greater risk. But I’m certain that these abhorrent acts wouldn’t have occurred had the right kind of leadership been exercised by the chain of command.



In 1951 in Korea, I was told by my commanding officer to kill four POWs and refused his direct order. I well remembered the Nazi generals’ sorry rationale for their despicable conduct: “We were just following orders.” I would get booted out of the Army before I went that route.



In 1965 in Vietnam, I saw a very connected intelligence captain torturing a POW with a field-telephone wire attached to his testicles and decided my personal belief system outweighed his father’s four stars. When I told him I’d shoot him if he didn’t cease and desist, the atrocity came to a screeching halt.



On both occasions, I knew I had the moral right. I’d been taught from the first day I put on a U.S. Army uniform that American soldiers don’t follow unlawful orders and that it was my duty to stop or report an illegal act. I also believed strongly that when dealing with POWs, “There but for the grace of God go I.”

http://www.sftt.org/cgi-bin/csNews/csNews.cgi?database=Hacks%20Target%20Homepage.db&command=viewone&op=t&id=65&rnd=129.3003066075623

[Turbineguy]

1. The whole problem becomes nearly impossible

The Enlisted person has to learn ALL the rules regarding what is legal and what is illegal?

No!

It's up to the Officers and omission is no excuse. The higher up in rank you are the more grounded you have to be in proper doctrine. This doctrine has to run from the top down. If a lower rank merely asks "What about this?" and gets no answer or an ambiguous answer, the higher-up is on the hook.

"That's why they pay you the big bucks!"

For the the Government to fall back on basic decency and proper upbringing of the soldiers as children is a cop out.