SSG Robert Bales, US Army

According to early reports by media, Afghanistan citizens reported that on March 11, 2012 multiple US military members were involved in what is now referred to as The Kandahar Massacre. This was considered the worst war crime ever committed by a US soldier since Vietnam. First the media claimed that 17 then 16 Afghanistan civilians were murdered in their homes in the middle of the night. Shortly after military authorities learned of the murders, SSG Robert Bales was swiftly flown back to the United States despite protest by Afghanistan citizens who wanted him tried in Afghanistan. They wanted him to hang. The US Army transferred SSG Bales to Fort Leavenworth two days after arriving back in the US. They eventually charged SSG Bales with the murder of 16 Afghanistan civilians and announced that they were seeking the death penalty.

Prior to the courts martial, Bales lawyer negotiated with the prosecution and asked that they take the death penalty off the table in exchange for Bales pleading guilty to the crimes. It was accepted and Bales was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Since then the media has examined the court documents and deduced that the Army missed the warning signs. Bales was on his fourth deployment when this incident occurred. There were previous concerns about his mental health but no real follow up. Others noticed that his behavior was erratic. And Afghanistan officials were concerned that the Army was not monitoring their personnel and equipment. And after examining all the media accounts, one can’t help wonder if SSG Bales was a lone gunman or a scapegoat. In response to this case, the Army announced in 2015 they came up with a new plan to help soldiers with PTSD.

Related Links:
No one asked their names
Inside The Kandahar Massacre; Grieving Survivors Describe Afghan Mass Murder
17 Afghan Civilians massacred by Staff Sgt. Robert Bales & team
Army identifies Staff Sgt. Robert Bales of Washington state as suspect in killing of 16 Afghan civilians
Afghan massacre suspect identified as Army Staff Sgt. Robert Bales
Army Staff Sgt. Robert Bales charged with murdering 17 Afghans
Bales Charged With 17 Murder Counts In Afghan Civilian Killings
Perilous web of mortgage debt ensnarled Army sergeant, wife
US Army to seek death penalty for soldier charged with Kandahar massacre
Charges against Bales challenge Army’s victim list
Army: Bales, wife laughed about killing charges
Afghan Massacre: Army Sgt. to Undergo Sanity Review
US Army seeks death penalty for Robert Bales, accused of Afghan villager massacre
Crime and Punishment, Military-Style
Robert Bales sentenced to life in prison for Afghanistan massacre
Staff Sgt. Bales Sentenced to Life in Prison for Murdering 16 Afghans Civilians
Staff Sgt. Robert Bales sentenced to life in prison without chance of parole for Afghanistan massacre that left 16 dead
US soldier sentenced to life in prison for shooting 16 Afghans
Army’s Robert Bales gets life, no parole for Afghan rampage — but was it justice?
Robert Bales Speaks: Confessions of America’s Most Notorious War Criminal
Army Staff Sergeant Robert Bales was on his fourth war zone deployment when he was accused of killing 16 Afghans
‘I was consumed by war’: New photo shows the face of US soldier moments after he ‘broke’ and massacred 16 Afghan villagers as he tells all in astonishing prison letter
Staff Sgt. Robert Bales Came to Hate ‘Everyone Who Isn’t American’
Robert Bales makes bid for mercy: ‘There isn’t a why; there is only pain’
Report sheds new light on U.S. soldier who murdered 16 Afghans
Report: Bales ‘erratic’ before 2012 shooting rampage
What It’s Like to Have an American War Criminal in Your Barracks
U.S. Army Missed Soldier’s Signs of Trouble
The Army’s New Plan To Help Soldiers With PTSD
Silent Night – Lela Ahmadzai (Documentary)