Military Punishing Two Senior Soldiers Over Afghanistan Skirmish

By Susan Thompson on February 8, 2010, 11:55 am

Is the military punishing two senior soldiers over an Afghanistan skirmish? A more than 4000 page report on the actions of officers commanding troops in Afghanistan at Wanat in the summer of 2008, scene of fierce fighting and the ambush massacre of nine US troops could result in disciplinary actions against those officers, according to the Pentagon. The investigation and report, undertaken in 2009 at the direction of Admiral Mike Mullen Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and overseen by a Marine Corps Three-Star General recommended that action be take against Company Command Captain Matthew Myer and Battalion Commander Lt. Col. William Ostlund. Captain Myer previously received a Silver Star for his actions at Wanat calling in air support. General Charles Campbell, the head of US Armed Forces Command, will make any decision on further disciplinary action.

Wanat Outpost Difficulties

US forced moved into Wanat, in a remote, mountainous region of Afghanistan near the Pakistan border in July 2008 when commanders feared that an existing outpost in the village of Bella was vulnerable to attack. Supplies for the building of the Wanat firebase were supposed to be waiting when troops arrived, including a five-day supply of fresh water. Afghan contractors failed to deliver those supplies as arranged and soldiers at Wanat, with only a two-day water supply quickly began to suffer from mild dehydration. On July 13, 2008, five days after the arrival of western forces, as many as 200 insurgents attacked the troops at Wanat, who were still awaiting resupply. Fighting went on for several hours. In addition to the nine dead, another 27 US troops were wounded. Among the dead, 1st Lt. Jonathan Brostrom, whose father, a retired Colonel pushed the Pentagon for an investigation into what went wrong. According to the Pentagon, any actions taken against senior officers address only the decision to move troops into Wanat and the supply lines breakdown.

 

Patraeus Weighs In On Report

General David Patraeus head of US Forces in the Middle East and in Central Asia reviewed the report stemming from the Wanat investigation. In addition to those officers named in the report deemed subject to possible discipline, General Patraeus added the name of Col. Charles Preysler, the Brigade Commander who oversaw troops at Wanat. Following failures at Wanat and elsewhere, US and NATO doctrine has changed in Afghanistan with troops now focusing on the protection of larger civilian populations rather than placing small outposts in the hostile mountains where narrow valleys and rugged terrain are difficult to defend.

Related posts:

1. Obama Visits Troops In Afghanistan: Does He Really Have A Grasp
2. Troops Dealing With Sandstorms, Booby Traps & Snipers In Afghanistan
3. Suicide Bombers Target Kabul as Obama’s US Troop Surge Gears Up
4. Pulling Out Of Afghanistan: National Security Council Plans Ahead
5. Are We Still Living In The Stone Ages: The Pentagon Report Proves It