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| Afghanistan |
| Marine: Convoy Fired Upon After Bombing |
| 2008-01-09 |
| CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. (AP) - A Marine riding in a Humvee during a shooting that left as many as 19 Afghan civilians dead testified Wednesday that his convoy was fired upon at least three times after it was attacked by a car bomb. Sgt. Brett Hayes said the gunner in his vehicle was knocked out of the turret by the blast. The gunner returned to his position and began firing, shouting he was being shot at by small arms fire from both sides of the road near a bridge over a dry riverbed. "I started hearing fire come at us," Hayes said during a fact-finding hearing at Camp Lejeune, adding that he heard small arms fire from AK- 47 rifles and cracks of the bullets passing overhead. Hayes recalled the March 4 attack during the second day of testimony at a rarely used fact-finding proceeding that is investigating the conduct of two officers involved in the shooting. On Tuesday, defense lawyers presented photographs of men with rifles standing in the riverbed and said the bombing was a well-planned attack on the patrol. Afghanistan's Independent Human Rights Commission The administrative Court of Inquiry, scheduled to last two weeks, will recommend whether the officers—Maj. Fred C. Galvin, 38, commander of the 120-person special operations company, and Capt. Vincent J. Noble, 29, a platoon leader—should be charged with a crime. That decision will be made by Lt. Gen. Samuel Helland, commander of U.S. Marine Forces Central Command. Some Marines in the six-vehicle convoy opened fire along a crowded roadway in Afghanistan's Nangahar province after an explosives-rigged minivan crashed into their vehicles. One Marine was wounded. Although an Army investigation concluded 19 Afghan civilians died and 50 were wounded, attorneys for the two officers argue the death toll was lower. Hayes said that after his Humvee began to roll after the bombing, the vehicle was fired on again from the right side of the road. The gunner fired back, then fired once or twice at a 45-degree angle toward the road, Hayes said, but he didn't know the intended target. At that point, the gunner realized he had been hit in the arm with shrapnel and Hayes got into the turret for the trip back to base. Hayes said he didn't fire the weapon. Hayes said the explosion of the vehicle bomb was close enough that he could feel its heat. The company was on its first deployment after the 2006 creation of the Marine Special Operations Command. After the shooting, eight Marines were sent back to Camp Lejeune and the rest f the company was taken out of Afghanistan. Maj. Gen. Dennis J. Hejlik, the commander of the Marine Special Operations Command, later said the unit responded appropriately. Marine Corps commandant Gen. James T. Conway also criticized an apology issued by an Army brigade commander, calling it premature because an investigation remained under way. The Marine Corps last used a Court of Inquiry more than 50 years ago. |
| Posted by:anonymous5089 |
| #6 Thanks OP, I never got in trouble in the Navy, but others did and they talked, I didn't realise there was a difference in the severity. Only heard about the "Single Officer" type of trial. Never any other. |
| Posted by: Redneck Jim 2008-01-09 19:37 |
| #5 Redneck Jim - for something like this, you'd have at LEAST a panel of three officers, and an option for a jury of six, nine, or twelve, depending upon the crime you'd be tried for. Only low-level crimes are handled by a single officer. |
| Posted by: Old Patriot 2008-01-09 14:58 |
| #4 Nope. just an Officer who's judge and jury. |
| Posted by: Redneck Jim 2008-01-09 14:31 |
| #3 do you even get 12 in a military trial?? |
| Posted by: sinse 2008-01-09 13:31 |
| #2 Better judged by 12 then carried by 6... |
| Posted by: tu3031 2008-01-09 13:07 |
| #1 how are our soldiers supposed too do their jobs when they may be brought up on charges at any time for anything. Hell if someone would have just tried too blow me up i would have shot up everyone i didn't know for longer than 10 miles or until i was out of ammo. This ROE bullshit has gone on long enough shut the hell up and let our guys do their jobs the right way and maybe more of them will make it home unharmed. |
| Posted by: sinse 2008-01-09 13:05 |