Bales's brutal actions have greatly strained the relationship between the US and Afghanistan and have further blackened the image of America and her soldiers in the Middle East. What do you guys think should be done about this situation? How should Bales be punished - should the fact that he might be mentally ill change the way he's dealt with? And how could the Army better regulate its soldiers to prevent this from happening again?
Friday, March 16, 2012
U.S. Identifies Army Sergeant in Killing of 16 in Afghanistan
On Friday, Staff Sergeant Robert Bales was charged with the killing of 16 Afghan villagers from the Kandahar Province, where left his combat outpost, entered nearby villages, and shot or stabbed those he found (including 9 children), earlier this week. Bales, a married, 38-year -old father, joined the U.S. Army after the September 11th attacks and has been deployed to the Middle East several times since then. According to his lawyer, it is possible Bales has suffered from brain trauma and and post-traumatic stress disorder in the past, which have been linked to poor impulse control and temperament changes. In addition, it was reported that just before the shooting, Mrs. Bales had decided to sell their house to "stabilize their finances," and an official said he saw Bales drinking alcohol the night before the murders. The official stated that the killings were "a combination of stress, alcohol, and domestic issues - he just snapped."
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I think that this situation is an example of why it is so important to support our soldiers. The fact that this soldier killed 16 innocents is unforgivable, but it also seems pretty tragic that the man had no help for his PTSD and financial troubles. There is a chance that this incident could have been prevented if people had noticed and addressed what seem like relatively obvious problems. I think that Bales' superiors should take on some responsibility for not recognizing Bales' mental state.
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