In a stunning reversal, the U.S. Army decided late Thursday to retain a decorated Green Beret it had planned to kick out after he physically confronted a local Afghan commander accused of raping a boy over the course of many days.
Sgt 1st Class Charles Martland, confirmed the Army’s decision to retain him when reached by Fox News, who has been covering the story in depth for the past eight months and first broke the story of the Army’s decision in August to kick out Martland over the incident, which occurred in northern Afghanistan in 2011.
“I am real thankful for being able to continue to serve,” said Martland when reached on the telephone by Fox News. Â “I appreciate everything Congressman Duncan Hunter and his Chief of Staff, Joe Kasper did for me.”
As first reported by Fox News, while deployed to Kunduz Province, Afghanistan, Martland and his team leader confronted a local police commander in 2011 accused of raping an Afghan boy and beating his mother. When the man laughed off the incident, they shoved him to the ground.
Martland and his team leader were later removed from the base, and eventually sent home from Afghanistan. The U.S. Army has not confirmed the specifics of Martland’s separation from service citing privacy reasons, but a “memorandum of reprimand†from October 2011 obtained by Fox News makes clear that Martland was criticized by the brass for his intervention after the alleged rape. Asked for comment in September 2015, an Army spokesman reiterated, “the U.S. Army is unable to confirm the specifics of his separation due to the Privacy Act.”
Read More- Fox News
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HOORRAY for the good guys !!!
Regards,
Nana
Finally some great news on this issue, actually it shouldn’t have been an issue other than giving this man a medal.
Agreed, predators need to be removed from the gene pool.
Antonio – We can hope that the ones who started this witch hunt will be publicly named, but my guess they have too much power so they will remain nameless. I hope this has at least started a policy discussion because in my mind, this policy states that the Army supports child abuse. In my opinion, Sgt Martland should have shot this bastard and then asked if anyone had any questions about what we do to child abusers. That should be our policy. Harsh yes, but I nothing compared to what they did.
Good news indeed. I hope those that started this witch hunt are publicly named and have to answere for this injustice done to a superb and outstanding Man!