Bales' first deployment to Iraq occurred in November 2003, where he spent a year on duty. His unit returned to Iraq in June2006, and he spent another 15 months on duty there. During that time, he was stationed in three different areas of Iraq., At this last station in Baqubad, his unit suffered major casualties. His final tour of duty in Iraq began in September 2009 and lasted for a year in an area of heavy insurgency. During one of his deployments, Bales lost part of his foot in battle. Bales went to Afghanistan in December 2011with the 3rd Stryker Brigade, based out of Joint Base Lewis-McChord, south of Tacoma, Washington.
Information about his background revealed that he had a few skirmishes with the law and had some anger issues, but does that explain his heinous act? I don't think so. He acted alone in killing innocent Afghans as they slept, but the Army bears some responsibility in this situation. Bales had two years between his second and third tours of duty, but his fourth and final deployment occurred 15 months after the third, and he purportedly asked the Army not to send him there. The United States military must seriously examine the wisdom of sending soldiers into battle so many times without intense scrutiny of their mental state. We can''t afford to face the backlash for what has been happening in Afghanistan of late.
The world has seen images of soldier urinating on dead bodies, Afghan citizens killed by mistake in drone attacks, and now this. We must exit that country as fast as possible and allow the people who live there to determine their fate. No amount of training will turn the tide this time. Return our troops and civilians in harm's way to the United States before another tragedy unfolds.
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