A Marine NCO Sergeant plead guilty to a charge of Dereliction of Duty in Afghanistan in a plea deal at his Court martial. He will receive a reduction in rank, loss of pay, and 3 months restriction. Seven other members of his unit had charges dropped or were acquitted of all charges. This trial ends an ordeal that came after charges were filed several years ago. Strong debate followed when it became known that these Marines were on a combat patrol in a contested area known to harbor insurgent forces, either the Taliban or Al Queda operating against the Afghan government.
Such charges pose great risks to members of the Corps doing their duty in Afghanistan where they operate with stringent controls that hamper their ability to respond when attacked. I'm sure many of the same rules were in effect in Vietnam many years ago, only now with electronic monitoring, communications capability, and length of time deployed, things are much different.
This closes a chapter on a multi-faceted campaign with more to follow.
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