Sept. 29, 2015 DoD Identifies Navy Casualty: Philip Manes, 21, NCD, Bahrain, USS Gladiator (MCM 11)
Sept. 22, 2015 DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Kyle Gilbert, 24, NCD, Afghanistan, Fort Drum, New York
Tag: Army
Army 1st Sgt. Charles Martland Losing Career for Roughing up Corrupt Afghan Official Accused of Rape; Later Exonerated, Retained by Army (August 31, 2015)
Justice for Army 1st SGT. Class Charles Martland
“We’ve got to let people know what the military’s doing, how the lawyers are running the show.” ~Rep Duncan Hunter
GOP Representatives protested Charles Martland’s separation from the Army for roughing up a corrupt Afghan Official accused of rape. The Army agreed to postpone Sgt. Martland’s discharge and gave him 60 days to allow time to file an appeal. Since this case has emerged, more US soldiers have come forward and admitted that they were asked to overlook the rape of children perpetrated by officials in Afghanistan. The Pentagon denied the allegations and stated that they had no such policy in place but felt it important to respect cultural differences. “Postponing Sgt. Martland’s separation from the military for 60 days to allow him time to file an appeal is a good first step, but the Army must act to reverse his forced discharge,” Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-Fla.) wrote in a letter to Army Secretary John McHugh.
It’s a massive victory more than six months in the making. Sergeant First Class Charles Martland – a decorated war hero who faced expulsion from the Army for defending a child – has been exonerated and will be allowed to remain in the U.S. military. -OfficialACLJ (May 3, 2016)
Related Links:
Green Beret: Striking corrupt Afghan got me kicked out
Green Beret Who Beat Afghan Man Over Child’s Rape Faces Army Discharge
JBLM soldier who assaulted Afghan police commander over child’s rape faces Army discharge
JBLM soldier who beat Afghan man over child’s rape faces Army discharge
Army Kicking Out Decorated Green Beret Who Stood Up for Afghan Rape Victim
Green Beret compares U.S. military inaction in Afghan rapes to Penn State scandal
Colonel: U.S. Soldier Should Not ‘Impose’ on All Afghan Customs, Including Child Rape
US Army rejects appeal by Green Beret who was kicked out after confronting an alleged Afghan rapist
U.S. Soldiers Told to Ignore Sexual Abuse of Boys by Afghan Allies
U.S. military accused of telling soldiers to overlook Afghan abuse of boys
Report: U.S. Military Ignored Afghan Allies’ Pedophilia, Punished Those Who Spoke Up
‘One of the best’: Defenders show support for ousted Green Beret
Green Beret discharged for beating alleged child rapist speaks out
Pentagon: Afghan Child Abuse Should Not Be Interfered With Because It’s ‘Cultural’
U.S. military accused of telling soldiers to overlook Afghan abuse of boys
Pentagon: No policy to overlook Afghan abuse of children
Secretary Carter, show the world we won’t tolerate Afghan child rape
Congressman protests punishment of soldiers who confronted alleged child rapist
GOP Reps. try to prevent discharge of Green Beret who beat up alleged rapist
Congressmen Vern Buchanan, Duncan Hunter Introduce Resolution Calling for Reinstatement of Soldier Who Blew Whistle on Afghan Child Rape
Yes, our troops were ordered to ignore Afghan pedophiles
Army delays discharge of Green Beret who beat Afghan
Army secretary delays separation of Green Beret who beat up Afghan commander
GOP rep: Delaying discharge of Green Beret ‘good first step’
Vern Buchanan Goes to Bat for Green Beret, Asking Army for Full Reinstatement
Rep: Delaying Discharge Not Enough, Green Beret Should Be Exonerated For Standing Up To Afghan Boy Rapist
AFA gets behind ‘Save Sgt. Martland’ push
U.S. military indifference to Afghan sex abuse led boy to kill three Marines
American marines told to turn a blind eye to child sex abuse and now my son is dead, says father of New York marine gunned down by Afghan teen ‘who was kept as a sex slave by local police chief’
Green Beret who beat up accused child rapist can stay in Army
Army Reverses Expulsion of Charles Martland, Green Beret Who Hit Afghan Rapist
Green Beret who hit admitted Afghan child rapist will stay in the Army
Army retains decorated Green Beret it planned to kick out over confronting Afghan child rapist
Green Beret who beat Afghan official over alleged child assault to stay in Army
Major Victory: Sgt. Martland Exonerated, Will Remain in Military
Family of Katherine Morris Wants Department of Justice to Investigate Death (August 10, 2015)
Family of Katherine Morris wants Dept. of Justice to investigate death. -WMAR-2 News (August 10, 2015)
Army Spouse Katherine Morris Found Dead in Car Near Mall; Cause of Death Initially Ruled Suicide But Further Investigation Suggests Homicide Motivated by Insurance Fraud (May 6, 2012): https://wp.me/p3XTUi-5ve
Never forgotten Katherine.
Related Links:
Katherine Morris on Military Justice for All (May 6, 2012)
Family of Katherine Morris wants Dept. of Justice to investigate death
Army Soldiers Johnny Herrera and Benjamin Cardwell, Army Veteran Todd Crow, and Daniel Francis Charged With Conspiracy to Commit Theft of Government Property (2015)
Two Fort Carson Army soldiers, Sgt. Johnny Herrera, 29, and SSgt. Benjamin Cardwell, 41, and a former Army soldier Todd Crow, 34, were among four people charged in connection with stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of military weapons, gear and robots, then selling them to a middle man Daniel Francis, 50, who sold them on eBay for a fraction of their worth. Sgt. Johnny Herrera, Staff Sgt. Benjamin Cardwell, Todd Crow, and Daniel Francis were all charged with conspiracy to commit theft of government property. If convicted of this crime, each defendant faces not more than five years in federal prison and up to a $250,000 fine. All four defendants were scheduled to appear before the U.S. Magistrate Judge on April 21, 2015 for detention hearings.
Retired military leaders say the string of theft allegations raises serious concerns over how the post keeps track of weapons, including items deemed too sensitive to leave military control. “If that stuff wound up in the wrong hands, it could really hurt us,” said retired Army Lt. Gen. Ed Anderson, who heads the National Homeland Defense Foundation in Colorado Springs. –Colorado Gazette
Related Links:
Men stole, sold military robots and armor on eBay: FBI
4 arrested in scheme involving stolen Army property
Four Men Arrested in Scheme to Sell Stolen Material from Fort Carson
Inside Job: Military Equipment Allegedly Stolen By Soldiers Sold On eBay
Four Men Arrested In Scheme To Sell Stolen Material From Fort Carson
Colorado Springs man accused of selling stolen equipment from Fort Carson
Soldiers in Colorado Arrested for Stealing Weapons They Sold on Ebay
2 Active Soldiers Accused Of Major Thefts From Fort Carson
Fort Carson soldiers charged with stealing, selling weapons on eBay
Fort Carson soldiers arrested, accused of stealing military equipment to sell on Ebay
Latest theft case illustrates problem of missing equipment at Fort Carson
Army says keeping equipment on post a priority, will investigate Fort Carson thefts
Army says keeping equipment on post a priority, will investigate Fort Carson thefts
Violent Crime, Suicide and Non Combat Death at Fort Carson, Colorado (US Army)
Chase Devyver Convicted of Second Degree Murder; Sentenced to 31 Years in Prison for Stabbing Death of JBLM Soldier Shawn Woods (2014)
Sgt. 1st class Shawn Woods (JBLM, Washington) was fatally stabbed Sunday, January 19, 2014 while trying to stop an assault outside his home. Chase Devyver was arguing with his girlfriend in the early morning hours in a parked car in front of their residence. When the girlfriend exited the vehicle and began walking toward the house, the defendant followed and stabbed her from behind. Shawn awoke to the screams and intervened in the assault but Devyver stabbed him to death. Shawn Woods died protecting a domestic assault victim. She was hospitalized but lived. Devyver was convicted of second degree murder and sentenced to 31 years in prison.
Related Links:
Murdered JBLM soldier identified as member of 2-2 Stryker Brigade Combat Team
Cedar Hill war veteran dies protecting assault victim
Suspect charged in JBLM soldier’s stabbing death
Suspect charged in Lewis-McChord soldier’s stabbing death
Man Charged with Murder in Stabbing of Soldier
Man charged with fatally stabbing JBLM soldier who came to woman’s aid
Man convicted in stabbing death of JBLM soldier
Killer of good Samaritan soldier from JBLM gets 30-plus-year sentence
Man sentenced to 31 years in soldier’s stabbing death
War veteran died a hero on the home front
Disabled Army Veteran Joseph Jeremy Weber Shot and Killed by California Police Officer After Allegedly Aggressing Upon Him with a Knife in Hand (2015)
Army veteran Joseph Jeremy Weber, 28, was shot and killed in Sunnyvale, California by police on April 8th, 2015 after an alleged liquor-store robbery. Apparently, Weber was shot and killed by the police because he was wielding a knife despite being asked to drop the weapon multiple times. Authorities released that Joseph Jeremy Weber was a disabled veteran reportedly dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder. The confrontation was preceded by a 911 call reporting a robbery where a man took a pack of cigarettes at knifepoint from a clerk at Grewalz Liquor & Groceries. The police say the suspect continued to move toward an officer while holding a knife and this is what prompted the 13-year police veteran to open fire. Joseph Jeremy Weber later died at the hospital.
The first officer on scene confronted the suspect in an alley and the police radio recordings reveal the officer reported that the suspect was about 50 feet away at that moment. Joseph Jeremy Weber refused to drop the knife and moments later, the officers reported shots were fired and the suspect was down. The Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety contended the suspect closed the distance during the gap in transmissions. The officer’s attorney stated, “Even when (the suspect) was advancing, [the] officer was still giving commands. The suspect was within range to inflict death or great bodily injury. There’s no question.” The officer was placed on paid administrative leave, which is routine in all officer-involved shootings. The outcome of the investigation is unknown.
Related Links:
Sunnyvale officer in fatal shooting identified
Man shot, killed by police in Sunnyvale IDd
Sunnyvale: Man killed in officer-involved shooting identified
Sunnyvale: Veteran killed in officer shooting, but not missing vet with same name
Army Veteran Suffering PTSD Shot, Killed By Sunnyvale Police Following Armed Robbery
Sunnyvale: Second suspect in fatal officer-involved shooting escapes
Sunnyvale officer involved shooting, One suspect dies, other at large
Police shoot, kill armed man near Sunnyvale Motel 6
Fatal Sunnyvale police shooting: fourth in three years
Sunnyvale officer shoots, kills man near Highway 101 and Mathilda Avenue
Army Veteran Jacques Garcia Shot and Killed Manuel Trejo in Austin, Texas Parking Lot; Garcia Arrested and Charged with First Degree Murder (2015)
Jacques Garcia, US Army Veteran
Manuel Trejo, Texas
Army veteran Jacques Garcia, 38, is accused of shooting and killing Manuel Trejo, 41, in a parking lot in Austin, Texas on March 28, 2015. Garcia has been charged with first degree felony murder and a third-degree felony of evading in a motor vehicle. Garcia’s bond for the murder charge was set at $250,000 and $20,000 for the evading arrest charge.
Anyone with any information about the shooting is asked to call the Homicide Tip Line at 512-477-3588 or Crime Stoppers at 512-472-TIPS or text “Tip 103” + your message to CRIMES.
Related Links:
Obituary: Manuel Trejo
Customer Shot Dead in Don Dario’s Parking Lot
Arrest made in homicide outside of Don Dario’s Cantina restaurant
Man charged with murder recently discharged from Army
Police: Suspect in fatal Southeast Austin shooting was Army veteran
Police charge man in fatal shooting outside restaurant
Man charged with murder recently discharged from Army
Man charged with murder in shooting outside restaurant
Police: Suspect in fatal Southeast Austin shooting was Army veteran
Family of man murdered at Don Dario’s speaks with FOX 7
Police say “it is clear that Garcia is well-trained in the safe use of firearms.” -KXAN
Fort Meade Army Soldier Caleb Barnes Stabbed Cheryl Silvonek to Death; Plead Guilty to First Degree Murder, Sentenced to Life in Prison (2015)
Caleb Barnes, 20, US Army, of Fort Meade, Maryland admitted guilt in the stabbing death of Cheryl Silvonek in her car on March 15, 2015. Lehigh County prosecutor’s charged Barnes and his 14 year old girlfriend Jamie Silvonek with the crime. Barnes was charged specifically with criminal homicide, abuse of a corpse, and statutory sexual assault. He stood accused of killing his underage girlfriend’s mother who had expressed disappointment with the relationship and then burning and burying her body in eastern Pennsylvania. Caleb Barnes and Jamie Silvonek plead guilty to the homicide; Jamie Silvonek showed some remorse and apologized to the court yet Caleb Barnes expressed zero remorse. Barnes was sentenced to life in state prison plus 22-44 years. The judge accused him of “blindsiding a 54 year old woman by stabbing her to death in a cowardly attempt to conceal his illegal sexual relationship with her 14-year-old daughter.”
Related Links:
Obituary: Cheryl L. Silvonek
Fort Meade soldier charged with stabbing woman to death
Fort Meade soldier accused in Pennsylvania death
Maryland Man Charged In Pennsylvania Woman’s Stabbing Death
Fort Meade soldier charged in fatal stabbing of girlfriend’s mother
Soldier kills 14-year-old girlfriend’s mother after she tried to break them up in Pennsylvania: police
PD: Girl, 14, Conspired With Md. Soldier in Mom’s Killing
Cops: underage teen had soldier boyfriend kill her mother
Pennsylvania girl, 14, charged as adult in mother’s stabbing death
Pa. teen who conspired with older boyfriend to kill mom will remain in jail
Pennsylvania teen, her boyfriend charged in stabbing death of her mother
Was Jamie Silvonek Coerced by Adult Boyfriend in Murder of Her Mom?
Prosecutors Say Pennsylvania Teen Convinced a Soldier to Murder Her Mom
Teen Texts Boyfriend ‘She Needs to Go’ Hours Before Mom Dies
Jamie Silvonek & Caleb Barnes: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know
No death penalty sought against soldier in Pa. woman’s murder
Friend testifies Pennsylvania teen plotted murder after mom tried to end romance
Pennsylvania Girl Pleads Guilty to Plotting Mom’s Death with Boyfriend
Jamie Silvonek pleads guilty in mother’s killing
Girl pleads guilty to plotting mom’s death with soldier beau
Teen calls herself ‘a monster’ for planning her mother’s death
‘I was a monster’: Schoolgirl, 14, jailed for 35 years for killing her mother ‘with the help of her soldier boyfriend’
Homicide trial for Jamie Silvonek’s soldier boyfriend is delayed
Man’s trial postponed in murder of teen girlfriend’s mother
Upper Macungie homicide: Girl texts boyfriend that her mom ‘needs to go,’ cops say
Teen Girl Charged as Adult in Mom’s Slaying, Texted Boyfriend ‘I Want Her Gone’
‘She Needs To Go’ 14-Year-Old Texts Soldier Boyfriend Hours Before Mother Killed: Cops
Teen girl, not soldier boyfriend, killed her mother, lawyer says
Lawyer: Teen girl, not soldier boyfriend, killed her mother
Prosecution, defense reveal battle lines in ex-soldier’s murder case
Caleb Barnes: Jamie Silvonek murdered Upper Macungie mother
Soldier, 21, accused of murder claims his then-14-year-old girlfriend is the one who killed her mother
Teen killed mother on her own, says boyfriend and murder co-accused
Caleb Barnes, Other Suspect In The Death Of Cheryl Silvonek, Says His Ex-Girlfriend Killed Her Own Mother
Forensic pathologist, witnesses testify in Caleb Barnes murder trial
Pennsylvania jury finds soldier guilty in death of teenage girlfriend’s mother
Caleb Barnes guilty of first-degree murder in slaying of girlfriend’s mother
Soldier convicted of killing teen girlfriend’s mother
Soldier Caleb Barnes Convicted of Murdering 14-Year-Old Girlfriend’s Mother Who Disapproved of Relationship
Caleb Barnes sentenced for killing girlfriend’s mom
Judge to Caleb Barnes: ‘You will be locked in a cage for the rest of your life’
Jamie Silvonek’s ‘criminal sophistication’ could staunch appeal
Court rejects soldier’s appeal in murder of teen girlfriend’s mother
Appeals rejected for Soldier sentenced in the murder of girlfriend’s mother
Life sentence upheld for El Paso man convicted of killing girlfriend’s mom
Caleb Barnes gets life plus 22 to 44 years for the murder of Cheryl Silvonek. Unlike his former girlfriend Jamie Silvonek, he did not apologize for his part in the Upper Macungie woman’s killing. -The Morning Call
NBC DFW | Injured Heroes, Broken Promises: Army Launches Investigation Inside Fort Hood’s Warrior Transition Unit (2015)
Allegations of mistreatment persist inside units designed to heal wounded soldiers
“NBC 5 Investigates has learned that the U.S. Army has launched a new investigation inside Fort Hood’s Warrior Transition Unit (WTU), looking at claims of harassment and abuse.
The investigation comes after NBC 5 Investigates partnered with The Dallas Morning News for a six-month investigation that revealed hundreds of complaints from injured soldiers who said commanders harassed, belittled them and ordered them to do things that made their conditions worse at three Warrior Transition Units in Texas: Fort Hood, Fort Bliss and Fort Sam Houston.”
Read more from NBC DFW here.
Related Links:
Violent Crime, Suicide, and Non Combat Death at Fort Hood, Texas
Wounded soldiers allege mistreatment in the Army’s Warrior Transition Units (2014)
Army closing 10 WTUs as need subsides; 15 to remain (2015)
House Orders Sweeping Investigation of Army Warrior Care (2015)
Soldier Describes Improvement at Fort Hood’s WTU After NBC 5 Investigation Exposes Complaints of Mistreatment (2015)
GAO: Army Needs to Improve Oversight of Warrior Transition Units (2016)
Military Policy and Legislation Considerations for the Investigations of Non Combat Death, Homicide, and Suicide of US Service Members (2016)
Army Soldiers at Fort Hood in Texas Are Dying at Alarming Rates Stateside (2017)
Washington DC Veteran’s Presentation on the Current Status of the Armed Forces at Fort Hood in Texas (2017)
78 Fort Hood Soldiers Died Since January 2016: 7 Overseas Deaths, 3 Non Combat; 71 Stateside Deaths, 37 ‘Suicides’, 1 Unsolved Homicide (2018)
The Fort Hood Fallen on Facebook
Fort Carson Army Soldier SSG Justin Holt Died After Stryker Armored Vehicle Tumbled 250 Feet Off Cliff at Training Range in Colorado (2015)
Fort Carson Army soldier, SSG Justine Holt, 31, was killed in a rollover accident at a post training area on February 6, 2015 in Colorado. Base officials said five others were also injured when the Stryker fighting vehicle turned over. Investigators said the Army vehicle took the wrong road in the dark and was making a U-turn when it tumbled 250 feet off a cliff at the training range. According to the Army, the crash caused $2.6 million dollars worth of damage to the Stryker. The Army also reported that no one was disciplined after the crash.
Documents released to the AP this week said Holt had an unspecified medical condition, that he suffered shoulder pain and he wasn’t sleeping well. But a captain cleared him to participate in the exercise against the advice of a physician assistant and a squadron commander, the report said. The report didn’t say whether Holt’s condition was a factor in his death or the crash. –The Denver Post
Related Links:
Obituary: Justin Lee Holt
Army releases name of soldier killed in Ft. Carson training accident
1 soldier dead, 6 injured in Fort Carson training exercise
1 Dead, 6 Soldiers Hurt In Rollover Accident At Fort Carson
Fort Carson Soldier Killed In Vehicle Accident Identified
Army: Fort Carson Stryker Crash Caused By U-Turn On Wrong Road At Night
Paralyzed soldier says Army was at fault in fatal wreck on Fort Carson
Army breaks silence on 2015 Fort Carson Stryker crash that killed soldier
Army: No one disciplined after training crash that killed 1
Army: No one disciplined after training crash that killed 1
Army: No one disciplined after Fort Carson training crash that killed 1
Army says troops lost their way, went off cliff
Violent Crime, Suicide and Non Combat Death at Fort Carson, Colorado (US Army)
This video was taken at SSG Justin Lee Holt’s memorial service held at Ft. Carson in Colorado Springs, Colorado. -Darla Davidson
MILITARY JUSTICE FOR ALL 