War is hell, it has been said, but apparently we’re working hard to make it nice. A Marine general who court-martialed a sergeant for urinating on the bodies of dead Taliban fighters and posing for pictures with them in Afghanistan will scale back the punishment announced by a military judge.
Lt. Gen. Richard Mills had agreed before the court-martial that the maximum sentence he would approve in the case of Staff Sgt. Joseph Chamblin was the forfeiture of $500 in pay for one month and reduction in rank to sergeant. The judge, not aware of this agreement, announced a harsher sentence: 30 days’ confinement, 60 days’ restriction, forfeiture of $500 per month in pay for six months, a fine of $2,000, and a reduction in rank to lance corporal.
Chamblin pleaded guilty, admitting to wrongful desecration, failure to properly supervise junior Marines and posing for photos with battlefield casualties. The issue was raised when a video showing 4 Marines urinating on the bodies of 3 dead enemy surfaced. In September the Marines announced that Chamblin and Staff Sgt. Edward Deptola would be court-martialed. Deptola’s case is pending.
Okay, I don’t approve of urinating on dead bodies—but, as things go, that’s a pretty minor issue. Folks, war isn’t a game. The enemy tries hard, and effectively, to kill and maim you and your buddies. It’s very hard not to be at least bitter about them. Does anyone really think you can expect a soldier to be loving and tender towards someone who was trying to kill him 5 min ago—I say we give the troops a break. This is the Political Correctness that’s dominating our nation and our military—let’s try not to offend our enemy. Can you imagine George Patton telling his troops to be nice to the Nazis? Baloney!
