A good commander, which is hard to find in today’s field grades and higher, would have fallen on his sword to protect his men from this kind of witchhunt. Instead LTC DeMartino asked his men to fall on their own swords for him. What a coward, he’ll make an excellent general or congressman. What happened to the Army values?

The most shameful part of this episode is the nameless soldiers who will pay with their lives and careers for the overzealosness of the CID inquisitors and due to the incompetence of their self-serving and derelict senior commanders. I’m utterly disgusted to think that a soldier was threatened with losing his citizenship so that he would be “more cooperative.” Is this how we treat our veterans? Why are rapists, child molesters, terrorists and other slime afforded more rights and entitled to greater dignity than our heroes?

CPT Hill, 1SG Scott, you are my kind of men. You did the right thing.

yankeemom’s last blog post..Proud Army Mom Moment ~

I moved in and out of your AO in Wardak many times last year and closely monitored the events occurring there. I had Soldiers from my unit serving as PMTs on FOB Airborne. You showed the courage and intestinal fortitude to do the right thing, to take care of the men and the mission despite the personal ramifications and without any support from your chain of command. I wish I could personally thank you and give you every honor and accolade that you rightly deserve.

Without a doubt your former battalion commander, LTC DeMartino, is a coward for not standing up for you and your men. He’s a prime example of another Field Grade officer putting his career ahead of everyone else. LTC DeMartino and other field grade officers in 4th BCT 101st ABN prevented you and other units, including my ETT, in RC-East from accomplishing our mission and taking care of our Soldiers. I appreciate you and 1SG Scott’s dedication to duty and loyalty to those that you serve, it’s what has made our Army great for over two hundred years.

The sad thing is LTC DeMartino will probably get a good OER and is being looked at for promotion to COL right now. This is why our Army is having problems retaining quality Soldiers and is not making measurable gains in Afghanistan right now. We are losing our best and brightest company grade NCOs and Officers because our higher leadership will not stand up and fight for their subordinates. They punish audacity instead of rewarding it.

For anyone who happens to read this and hasn’t been to Wardak province, I highly suggest you imagine some of the most inhospitable terrain imaginable, with thousands of bad guys trolling about, who hold most of the key terrain, and then think hard about how you could possibly hold the line with less than 80 Soldiers and a Battalion Commander who won’t release Fires/CCA/CAS to your direct control when you need it the most. CPT Hill and 1SG Scott faced that problem last Summer and though they suffered some casualties, they did not surrender nor did they cower in fear in the face of overwhelming odds. In previous wars, CPT Hill, 1SG Scott and the Infantry warriors of Dog Company would be parading through the Canyon of Heroes in Manhattan this Summer in appreciation for their hard work.

CPT Hill, thanks for your service and good luck to you in everything you do.

RLTW