After an Afghan police commander admitted to repeatedly raping a little boy after chaining him to a bed for seven days, he was brought on base for questioning by Army Special Forces. When the commander laughed about his atrocities, in addition to beating the boy's mother when she tried to intervene and stop him from assaulting her son, he got roughed up.
Now Sgt. 1st Class Charles Martland, a Green Beret with 11 years of outstanding Army service, is being kicked out of the military as a result of doing the right thing.
"We have previously discussed several Army personnel issues and specific instances of meritless or retaliatory action taken by Army leadership. There's a new case I would like to bring to your attention: Sergeant First Class (SFC) Charles Martland is being involuntarily separated from the Army for striking an Afghan Local Police (ALP) Commander for raping a young local boy and then beating the boy's mother. SFC Martland has since acknowledged he was wrong strike the ALP commander, but, according to SFC Martland, he and others felt they could no longer stand by and allow the ALP to commit atrocities. To intervene was a moral decision, and SFC Martland and his Special Forces team felt they had no choice but to respond," Rep. Duncan Hunter wrote in a letter to Defense Secretary Ash Carter late last week. "Based on the character references and information I have received, some of which I have enclosed for your review, I am once again dismayed by the Army's actions in this case. SFC Martland has served honorably for more than 11 years and, importantly, he has earned the trust and respect of his fellow soldeirs. Further, he has the support of his command, although it appears that Army leadership has disregarded this support and other actions taken by SFC Martland --- particularly in the area of self-improvement -- since the time of the confrontation with the ALP commander."
"Mr. Secretary, I personally ask that you review the details of this case and intervene immediately. SFC Martland stood up to a child rapist --- which I am fully confident you believe is the right thing to do --- and the fact that he will soon be involuntarily separated as a result is troubling," Duncan continued.
Hunter hasn't received a response from Carter or any other Army official to his request for an intervention. Hunter has also lamented that "the lawyers are in charge" and that moral decisions are no longer honored or respected.
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