Sgt. John M. Russel: 5 Counts of Murder in Camp Liberty Fragging

   I want to re-iterate what my fellow enlisted peer previously stated...this man is not a representative of the U.S. Army's health care system or its leadership. The Army's senior leadership has taken every effort, without regard to expense, to provide Soldiers with resources, education, and training on how to deal with stress and/ or identify risky behaviors in those around us. We all receive the same amount of training prior to, during, and after deployments. Soldiers that exhibit behaviors that are indicative of their non ability to adjust are identified and receive additional training/ counseling.

I was in Baghdad when this shooting occurred. The reason why this Soldier did not have his assigned weapon was because health care providers identified that fact that he had a problem, and took his weapon away from him. It is not coincidental that none of the other Soldiers in the clinic had their weapons either. This man OVERPOWERED another Soldier outside of the clinic, stole his weapon, and walked back inside of the clinic and shot up the place.

You really think that because he was "under stress" we should forgive and forget his actions? We are all under stress over here. Just because this Soldier was "under stress" doesn't mean that he should get a free pass for killing five people and wounding a sixth. Would you free the Virginia Tech shooter because, at the time of the shootings, he was "mentally unstable"...of course not. What about the D.C. snipers? Would you forgive and forget their actions? That thought is ridiculous. I would argue that all of the people involved in the major homicidal cases in history had mental health issues.

Fratricide in the military is the ultimate sin. We fight, train, bleed, and sweat alongside one another, to have one of your own turn on you is not only insulting but unthinkable. Having a job in the military is like no other, the kind of camaraderie and Esprit de Corps that Soldiers experience is like no other, many civilians will never have the privilege or the opportunity to understand what it means to be a Soldier and fight for your country, regardless of the reasons. In a combat zone, you have to rely on the person to your left and right to protect you from the enemy. You shouldn't have to worry about protecting yourself from your buddy, regardless of the problems that he/ she may be having.

I suppose a civilian equivalent to this tragedy, would be having your cubicle mate open fire on you and your family. You probably wouldn't be so forgiving then. This man doesn't deserve your prayers, admiration, or support...he deserves the death sentence. My opinion is in-line with what the previous Soldier stated...you wouldn't want me to be a part of his jury. The family members of the deceased who are now mourning a member of their family deserve your prayers, as well as the rest of us who wake up every morning and deal with our stress in appropriate ways.

Ultimately, this Soldier killed five other Soldiers and wounded a sixth. Most of the Soldiers over here are between the ages of eighteen and twenty-five. If your son or daughter had been one of the deceased, would you be so forgiving...probably not. You can claim all of the self righteous non-sense that you want, but at the end of the day as a Soldier not an outsider, I know that the Army's senior leadership did and does everything that they can to PREVENT tragedies like this from happening.

It's always easier looking in from the outside. But...what have you done lately for people in your community who have mental health issues? Because as a leader, I can tell you exactly what I've done to try to PREVENT tragedies like this from happening with my own Soldiers. If you feel so strongly about mental health issues, than why don't you help others in your own community deal with their issues by volunteering, or better yet you can donate money to the homeless programs in your community. In the military, Soldiers do this kind of thing every day.

The military has one of the best healthcare systems in the world. What a lot of people don't know, is that many people join the military with pre-diagnosed mental health issues. They join the military because the healthcare system is free, or they join because of their prior low socio-economic status. Either way, Soldiers will always take care of one another...that is what we do.

Don't be confused, this is an isolated incident. Out of the hundreds of thousands of people serving in the military, there has only been a very select and limited amount of occurrences like this. Statistically, compared to civilian communities, the military has one of the lowest rates of suicide and murder. Can you say the same for your community or others like it? Don't always believe what you see on TV, or hear from others, research the topic and educate yourself on things that are unknown to you.

-A very proud and dedicated U.S. Army Staff Sergeant