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Army kicking out decorated Green Beret who stood up for Afghan rape victim

Aug 20, 2015 7:45 pm By Robert Spencer

MartlandIs there no end to the degradation that the Obama Administration will inflict upon us? Is there no end to what it will do in order to weaken our military and embolden its enemies?

“Army kicking out decorated Green Beret who stood up for Afghan rape victim,” Fox News, August 21, 2015 (thanks to Pamela Geller):

EXCLUSIVE: The U.S. Army is kicking out a decorated Green Beret after an 11-year Special Forces career, after he got in trouble for shoving an Afghan police commander accused of raping a boy and beating up his mother when she reported the incident.

The case of Sgt. 1st Class Charles Martland now has the attention of Congress, with Rep. Duncan Hunter writing to Defense Secretary Ash Carter challenging the decision.

“I am once again dismayed by the Army’s actions in this case,” Hunter, R-Calif., wrote in a letter to Carter.

Martland is described by many of his teammates as the finest soldier they have ever served alongside.

But his Army career changed course during his second deployment to Afghanistan in 2011. After learning an Afghan boy was raped and his mother beaten, Martland and his team leader confronted a local police commander they had trained, armed and paid with U.S. taxpayer dollars. When the man laughed off the incident, they physically confronted him.

They were punished by the Army at the time — but why exactly Martland is now being discharged is a matter of dispute. Army sources cited his accolades, including being named runner-up for 2014 Special Warfare Training Group Instructor of the Year from a pool of 400 senior leaders in Special Forces, in questioning the decision.

As for the incident in 2011, Hunter told Carter: “To intervene was a moral decision, and SFC Martland and his Special Forces team felt they had no choice but to respond.”

Casey, a former Green Beret teammate who would only use his first name since he is now a member of a federal counterterrorism team, told Fox News, “If I was a commander, I would have given him an award. They saved that kid’s life.”

Martland grew up south of Boston, in Milton, Mass. An all-state football player in high school, he set his sights on playing college football after graduating in 2001. Martland went for the Florida State University team, which just finished a season ranked #4 in the nation.

He made the team, impressing legendary head coach Bobby Bowdon and famed defensive coordinator Mickey Andrews. Still, he often remained on the sidelines. When Pat Tillman, a former NFL football player who volunteered for the Army Rangers, was killed in Afghanistan in 2004, he saw Tillman’s sacrifice as motivation to apply for another elite program. Martland dropped out of college and graduated in 2006 from Special Forces Qualification Course, one of the U.S. military’s toughest training programs. Over the years he became a jumpmaster, combat diver and sniper.

After a deployment to Iraq in 2008, he deployed to Afghanistan in January 2010 as part of a 12-man unit. He and his team found themselves fighting large numbers of Taliban militants in volatile Kunduz Province.

On one mission, one of their vehicles was struck by an IED, setting off a Taliban ambush. Fox News is told Martland rushed to the scene. He jumped in the turret of a damaged Humvee, exposing himself to enemy bullets while returning fire to help his teammates gather sensitive equipment.

“I thought he was gone, then he comes out of nowhere to save us,” said an active-duty Green Beret who requested anonymity.

Martland was awarded a Bronze Star with Valor for his actions. According to one evaluation, he also was “praised” by Gen. David Petraeus, then commander of U.S. and allied forces in Afghanistan.

But very quickly, the Green Berets realized they had a problem with many of the Afghans they were training to become local police officers.

“We had been hearing for months about raping in our province, not just in Afghanistan,” said Daniel Quinn, a West Point graduate and the team leader of the detachment sent to Kunduz.

One day in early September 2011 at their remote outpost, a young Afghan boy and his Afghan-Uzbek mother showed up at camp. The 12-year-old showed the Green Berets where his hands had been tied. A medic took him to a back room for an examination with an interpreter, who told them the boy had been raped by another commander by the name of Abdul Rahman.

After learning of the meeting, Rahman allegedly beat the boy’s mother for reporting the crime. It was at this point, the Green Berets had had enough. Quinn and Martland went to confront Rahman.

“He confessed to the crime and laughed about it, and said it wasn’t a big deal. Even when we patiently explained how serious the charge was, he kept laughing,” Quinn said.

According to reports of the incident, Quinn and Martland shoved Abdul Rahman to the ground. It was the only way to get their point across, according to Quinn. “As a man, as a father of a young boy myself at the time, I felt obliged to step in to prevent further repeat occurrences,” Quinn said.

Rahman walked away bruised from getting shoved and thrown to the ground, but otherwise okay, according to teammates. But Rahman quickly reported the incident to another Army unit in a nearby village. The next day a U.S. Army helicopter landed and took Quinn and Martland away, ending their work in Kunduz Province.

For the next few weeks, both soldiers remained in Afghanistan but were not allowed to continue their mission. They were given temporary jobs in Mazar-i-Sharif in northern Afghanistan and later in Herat. Pending the outcome of the investigation, both men were relieved from their positions and sent home. Their war was over.

Quinn has since left the Army and started a job on Wall Street.

Martland, though, has been fighting to stay in the Army. In February 2015, the Army conducted a “Qualitative Management Program” review board. His supporters suspect because Martland had a “relief for cause” evaluation in his service record, the U.S. Army ordered Martland to be “involuntary discharged” from the Army by Nov. 1, 2015.

The U.S. Army could not confirm the specifics of Martland’s separation from service due to privacy reasons, according to Wayne Hall, an Army spokesman.

Critics point to the Army drawdown as a reason. One former Green Beret said any negative mark on a soldier’s record can get them kicked out, given the drawdown.

Martland still has received the highest scores in evaluations since the incident….

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Filed Under: Afghanistan, Barack Obama, Featured, United States, Useful idiots Tagged With: Abdul Rahman, Charles Martland


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Comments

  1. Angemon says

    Aug 20, 2015 at 8:24 pm

    I’m speechless. I don’t even know where to begin with this. It’s bad enough that American blood, sweat, tears and money was poured down the aimless black hole of the war in Afghanistan, but decent human beings are being punished for behaving like decent human beings? Troubling, very troubling, particularly for the so-called leader of the so-called “world police”.

    • gamaliel says

      Aug 21, 2015 at 7:06 am

      IF we hadn’t given away our victory all those people who were liberated from radical Islam would have had a better life thanks to our sacrifice.

    • Cecilia Ellis says

      Aug 21, 2015 at 12:15 pm

      Like you, Angemon, I don’t know where to begin to express my outrage at this injustice. In my 20-plus years of military service, I witnessed one occasion of relief for cause that involved the two top officers. That action was most appropriate due to their dereliction of duty in meeting operational responsibilities.

      I have had young, active duty personnel tell me the rules of engagement imposed on them while fighting in Iraq included directions that their weapons were not to be loaded until they were fired upon, and, should the person firing at them be a child, they were not to shoot back. Some of those children were firing RPGs. One of my students, on medical hold at the time, had been involved in three IED explosions, each time during which the APC in which he was riding incurred a direct hit. The last one was so intense that he suffered major heart damage from the blast wave. Sent home to recuperate and to be monitored by the VA medical establishment, he tried to lead a normal, although restricted, life. The father of two young girls, he was inspiring, dedicated, and optimistic about the future. It all ended one day when he suffered an immediate, fatal heart attack. I think he was only 24. That day, we lost a great Marine. I have always wondered if a child planted that explosive device or if other ROE had been in place would this incident have been precluded. And, yes, Obama was the President at that time.

      I watched the video at the link you provided. I am overwhelmed with an array of emotions: anger, sadness, disgust with military leaders, pride in the junior ranks, and the list could go on. There is one person who is primarily responsible for this disgrace: Obama. He should be relieved for cause for dereliction of duty as Commander-in-Chief, to be followed by the dismissal of those who unpatriotically abandoned their duties as military leaders. He is resolute in destroying America. The alarm is blinking red.

  2. Bruce says

    Aug 20, 2015 at 8:35 pm

    I find it so sad when people ,even soldiers that try to protect people from the Taliban and others like it are not even backed up by their government or superiors and are thrown out . Shame on you but ,alas we know where the orders come from ,the top .as a former soldier I understand what the Sergeant felt and why he did what he did. These people over there have absolutely no regard nor respect for women or anyone under them . It’s gotta be rough for the soldiers having to fight a losing battle and have no backup.

    • Jack says

      Aug 20, 2015 at 9:31 pm

      The battle is with this evil government, and the Azz kissing generals, what a huge difference today and from the time I was in the service, I don’t think I could stomach being in the military today, maybe this is planned; get rid of the decent God fearing people and keep and recruit as many degenerates as they can find, there is a way by using psychological testing, just imagine the majority of our military personnel being like that smiling Vermin.

      • Linde Barrera says

        Aug 20, 2015 at 9:48 pm

        To Jack- I am most grateful for your service to the USA. Thank you, and God bless you and yours.

      • Joseph says

        Aug 21, 2015 at 1:01 pm

        Bruce & Jack,
        I too thank you for your service, but I hope you know free America still needs both of you (and all servicemen) more than ever. Dark days are ahead.

    • Linde Barrera says

      Aug 20, 2015 at 9:44 pm

      To Bruce- Thank you for your service to my country. I consider it a privilege to comment to you. I recommend that every American who reads this article call the White House comment line and briefly state that Sgt 1st Class Charles Martland should not be involuntarily discharged, but should be allowed to remain on active duty because he is such an honorable and hard working soldier. This # is 202-456-1111. Then, call the Department of Defense Public Affairs and state the same thing; # 703-571-3343 and hit the option number to talk to someone in the Pentagon (Defense Secretary Ashton Carter) or they may refer you to the other option, which is to leave a comment. I would love to know a fact or two of your military history if you feel like commenting on it. God bless you and yours, and I hope Sgt 1st Class Martland gets to keep his job.

    • ninetyninepct says

      Aug 21, 2015 at 12:03 pm

      Bruce:
      “These people over there have absolutely no regard nor respect for women or anyone under them ”

      Yet Western countries insist on importing the very same jihadists and terrorists.Why isn’t obama arrested and charged with promoting, supporting and financing terrorism?

      An Iranian “immigrant” in Winnipeg, Manitoba was recently stopped by the RCMP for attacking and choking his “wife” right in front of the police. He stated it was his right according to the koran because he owned her and could do what he wanted to and with her. This boar by the way has the sow and 9 piglets, probably all living on welfare. Unfortunately this is exactly the kind of voter that Justin trudeau, Liberal Party leader, has just made a deal with. He had a secret visit with the imams in a Regina mosque. WE can only assume he was trading the muslim votes for his support in bringing more jihadists into Canada.

      Canada has to start arming itself. The Conservative aren’t doing a very good job.

  3. wildjew says

    Aug 20, 2015 at 9:27 pm

    Americans (millions) elected this man who sat in a racist church for twenty years listening to anti-Semitic, racist, anti-American sermons.

    • Kepha says

      Aug 21, 2015 at 5:14 pm

      My guess is that the O maladministration is trying to purge the US military and replace its competent fighters, patriots, and conservatives with PC types who might not be very good at fighting a foreign war, but who will be dependable when needed against dissident Americans.

      The O is America’s first third world great leader.

  4. JIMJFOX says

    Aug 21, 2015 at 1:07 am

    Should have put a round into the prick’s head- “resisting arrest”

  5. dlbrand says

    Aug 21, 2015 at 1:09 am

    “ ….a local police commander they had trained, armed and paid with U.S. taxpayer dollars…. the man laughed off the incident….”

    Just one more incident, to add to the countless, that attest to the fact of the abject foolishness, thus the abject failure of the COIN strategy, implemented in both Iraq and Afghanistan.

    Fool-headed, fool-headed, wasteful expenditures. Only willing blind fools close their eyes to the mountain of facts on this disgraceful, fool-headed failed venture of COIN strategy in Islamic Nations.

  6. Just A Concerned Citizen says

    Aug 21, 2015 at 2:23 am

    Clearly as far as the US military is concerned with the ubiquitous awareness campaign, there’s “zero tolerance for sexual assault in any form” with the expectation that all servicemen will “step up” and “do the right thing”, and then there’s this.

    For quite a while now, I have pondered how things were going to play out when the inevitable incident occurs and the military is forced to reconcile the “zero tolerance” policy with Islamic cultural sensibilities–which one would the powers that be get behind. Maybe we’re seeing the first symptom.

  7. RonaldB says

    Aug 21, 2015 at 3:58 am

    I guess there are two possible scenarios to Sgt. Martland’s discharge.

    One is that there was an active hostility to his taking the initiative of confronting the police commander and causing waves. This hostility followed him and was responsible for his being mustered out of the service. In other words, there was an evil intent.

    In the second scenario, Sgt. Martland was indeed kicked out of Afghanistan for causing waves. After that, however, his separation was purely impersonal, based on his “relief for cause”. Army bean-counters, wanting to draw down the number of soldiers, avoided making any actual decisions simply by mindlessly applying certain criteria: any black mark, and you’re out, regardless of the circumstances.

    So, the classic dilemma once again shows up in the Obama administration: would you rather have an atrocious decision made through evil intent or simply through stupidity? Or, would you rather have an evil chain-of-command or a stupid one?

  8. Ginny says

    Aug 21, 2015 at 4:51 am

    Hey, isn’t boy rape what the USA is now promoting? Maybe Mr. Rahmad was mad at Mom for getting in the way of his homo marriage. That is the morality we are standing for now in the rainbow White House. God forgive us!

  9. Gene says

    Aug 21, 2015 at 12:00 pm

    Sounds like they let the police commander stay in his position and keep on raping people. It’s good that the Obama Administration has got its priorities straight. I wonder why the entire Mid East has gone to hell? Maybe it has something to do with siding with murderers and rapists while doing nothing to help our allies.

  10. ninetyninepct says

    Aug 21, 2015 at 12:11 pm

    All we ever see in articles like this is “the Army” , “the Army”. We want to see names, ranks and contact info. General Z or Colonel Y, not “the Army”. Just who is “the Army”?

  11. BW022 says

    Aug 21, 2015 at 2:25 pm

    I, _____, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice, except with respect to Afghan police who I am training who wish to rape children and beat mothers. So help me God.”

    Maybe the US military should invest more in robotics. It is far better to have an army which doesn’t care about child rapist, can work with them, and just not have those pesky issues moral and empathy issues.

  12. Mazo says

    Aug 21, 2015 at 2:31 pm

    Bacha Bazi (pederasty with boys) is specific to certain ethnic groups, not Muslims in general. It is part of Afghan ethnic Pashtun culture. Other Muslims like Indic Muslims from east Pakistan and India don’t practice it despite living next to Pashtuns.

    • D says

      Aug 21, 2015 at 3:16 pm

      Uh, I guess that changes everything…?

      • Mazo says

        Aug 22, 2015 at 7:15 pm

        There is an entire set of ethnic jokes by Indic Muslims (eastern Pakistanis and Indian Muslims) centered around Pathans (Pahtuns).

        Pashtuns live in Afghanistan and northwest Pakistan.

        Indic Muslims mock Pashtuns as boy lovers, naswar chewing addicts, rickshaw drivers, cavemen, and illiterates. Pretty much the same as western views of Afghans.

    • Mark says

      Aug 23, 2015 at 1:39 am

      Satans muslims allways try to make out the satanic evil practices TAUGHT by islam AND EXAMPLES OF MULTIPLE SEXUAL PERVERT mooo ham mad are nothing to do with islam but culteral.

    • Mark says

      Aug 23, 2015 at 1:43 am

      Muhamads paedophilia with boys is hinted at in the quran (sucking boys tongues) BUT mentioned more fully in the hadith., the hadith also details his homosexual acts.

  13. Myxlplik says

    Aug 21, 2015 at 4:13 pm

    I bet Obama and his M.B. cohort go after these Marines in France too.

    http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-34023361

  14. Douglas Saballos says

    Aug 21, 2015 at 4:49 pm

    We tried nation building in Muslims country were rape is very much part of Islam. Mohammed did it. So the grotesque reality is on us. Our leaders knew nothing of Islam and now they know everything but are sympatethic to the cult. I am sorry we lost so many people in an unworthy cause. Shame on Bush and prison for Obama.

  15. mike says

    Aug 21, 2015 at 6:11 pm

    No matter what the Muslim in Chief or his minions say, GOOD JOB SERGEANT! We are PROUD of YOU!

  16. nothosaur says

    Aug 21, 2015 at 10:22 pm

    Is there a JAG officer out there who can tell us the different punishments available for an enlisted who is found guilty of pushing a guy, not resulting in great bodily harm, but only a small bruise?

    There has got to be an alternative to kicking him out of the armed forces. This seems extreme.

  17. Mo says

    Aug 22, 2015 at 10:46 am

    How I long for ALL the members of this traitorous Obama Administration to be brought to justice.

  18. EYESOPEN says

    Aug 22, 2015 at 8:48 pm

    To any and all who wish to help the brave Green Beret, there is a petition that you can sign to help. It can be found here:

    http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/sfc-charles-martland

    Please sign this petition; and let all those you know about this travesty of justice!

  19. Mark says

    Aug 23, 2015 at 1:37 am

    It would really not surprise me if ovomit has a list of whom to behead when he becomes calph.

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