A sergeant who became physically engaged with a local commander he had previously trained after rumours began to spread that the commander had been assaulting a twelve year old child inappropriately has been sacked and told that he will not be able to appeal the decision. On top of this, the man the sergeant attacked also threatened the mother after she said she was going to report him for the sexual behaviour.
The incident took place in a province of Afghanistan named the Kunduz province where the soldiers had been stationed since 2011. Sergeant Martland was officially reprimanded for his “flagrant departure from professionalism and even-tempered leadership” which eventually led to his discharge from the service after serving as a Green Beret for eleven years. Martland claims that the violence came when he and a fellow soldier made it known they did not agree with the commander’s conduct regarding the child, something that he laughed about while claiming “it was no big deal.” He was then shoved to the ground by the understandably angry soldiers. The commander consequently complained about the attack and the army placed Martland into a temporary job before sending him home.
The fellow soldier who involved in the confrontation has now quit his job to pursue a different career, claiming that he and Martland “felt that morally we could no longer stand by and allow our ALP (Afghan Local Police) to commit atrocities”. It has to be said that the accusations against the commander are likely being argued as unfounded, but it does seem interesting that there is no news about this commander while this sergeant is fighting for his past not to be tarnished by attacking someone he claims assaulted a child while saying it isn’t a big deal.
What do you think about this story? It’s certainly and interesting one. Whether you side wholeheartedly with Martland or err on the side of caution hoping that further facts about the story come out soon, let us know what this story has inspired within you and how it makes you feel.
