|
Reprimands Issued for Battle Deaths
The Army severely reprimanded two of the three officers cited for negligence after a flawed mission in eastern Afghanistan resulted in five U.S. deaths, according to a congressman who pushed for the informations release.The Army officers were cited for poor planning and oversight of a Sept. 8, 2009, operation in Ganjgal, a remote village near the Pakistan border with Kunar province. The Ganjgal investigation, conducted by Army Col. Richard Hooker and Marine Col. James Werth, determined that the negligent leadership of three officers at nearby Forward Operating Base Joyce contributed directly to the loss of life which ensued. They refused direct calls for help from U.S. forces on the ground and failed to notify higher commands that they had troops under fire, the investigation found. Reprimands in the Ganjgal case were delivered after similar discipline was rescinded last year for mistakes made in Wanat, Afghanistan, during an ambush July 13, 2008. Nine soldiers died and 27 were wounded in the battle. In that case, a U.S. Central Command investigation cited leadership that was derelict in the performance of their duties to properly supervise the planning and execution of the military operation. The Wanat reprimands were rescinded in June by retiring Army Gen. Charles Campbell, infuriating family members. Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418 2011-02-17 |
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=316292 |