Be All You Can Be: And Frag Free, Too

via Jules: RALEIGH, N.C. — American troops killed their own commanders so often during the Vietnam War that the crime earned its own name - “fragging.”

But since the start of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the military has charged only one soldier with killing his commanding officer, a dramatic turnabout that most experts attribute to the all-volunteer military.

And some argue the case of Staff Sgt. Alberto B. Martinez shouldn’t even be considered fragging, since his motive was unclear.

Comments

[Fred Beloit]

"But since the start of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the military has charged only one soldier with killing his commanding officer, a dramatic turnabout that most experts attribute to the all-volunteer military."

Unfortunately there is another and bigger case beside Martinez. That of Asan Akbar, which can be found here:

http://www.nationalreview.com/mowbray/mowbray040303.asp

[Terry Gain]

More news from MNF-Iraq

FORWARD OPERATING BASE KALSU, Iraq – A 72-year-old man stopped a suspected suicide bomber from detonating himself at a checkpoint in Arab Jabour Oct. 14.

The man approached a checkpoint where Mudhehr Fayadh Baresh was standing guard, but did not make it very far.

Baresh, a tribal commissioner and member of the Arab Jabour Concerned Citizens program, said he ordered the man to lift his shirt - using training received from Coalition Forces - when he did not recognize him as a local villager.

The suspect refused to lift his shirt. Baresh repeated the command again, and the suspect exposed his suicide vest, running toward the checkpoint.

Baresh opened fire which caused the vest to detonate, killing the suspect.

“I did it for the honor of my family and the honor of my country,” said Baresh, when he met with Col. Terry Ferrell, commander of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division.

Lt. Col. Kenneth Adgie, commander of the 1st Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment presented Mudher with a battalion coin for his valor Oct. 16.
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The "fragging" in this war is taking place on tv and at keyboards but then it's not really fragging because they're not on our side. Are you boob?

So boob, what do you think of this "brown person". At 72 he's got more balls than you'll ever have. Concerned Citizens in Iraq. Working hard (and risking their lives) to bring peace to their country. Committed (or should be) Leftists in America. Working hard to encourage the insurgents to fight on (at least til November 08).

[IslamoLlama]

This probably has alot to do with a lack of draft. If dragged into the service unwillingly, its no surprise that an involuntary soldier would take out his resentment on the nearest military figurehead - his commanding officer.

Pop open any conscripted soldier's narrative of the war, and you'll get to hear all about how found conscripts were for their commanders. Voluntary service changes all that. You're a band of brothers who've joined the military willingly, often gleefully. You want to be there, at least to some degree. A lack of fraggings isn't a surprise at all.

[Fred Beloit]

Hey, Moe, gnya gnya gnya, what the hell do you know about soldiers and how they feel about their commanders and about how conscripts feel? Have you been reading articles by phony soldiers again?

[jj]

Terry, I loved that news from Iraq. That old guy in Iraq reminds me of that old guy in Texas. Both of them performed admirably, and both are heros in my book. The BoobinStamford does not like gun talk, so be careful. On second thought, don't be careful, thumb it in his face! Hahaha!