Enola
DP Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 23, 2011
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I got a few thoughts on this, seeing as how I'm a Marine who was in Afghanistan with those guys (not serving in the same unit) and they are on the same base as I am.
A) Why film it? Dumb
B) There are very few people on this website that have actually been to combat. I have numerous times. While I never thought of doing something like this, the lives of your enemy can become very cheap to you. Especially after you see guys you have known and served with for 3-4 years blown to bits by the IED's these cowards put out. While I don't condone it, I can understand where it comes from. I've given less than satisfactory medical care to terrorists that just killed 2 and wounded 1 of my buddies.
C) These guys are snipers. So, the already low level of pity held by them for their enemy is magnified by the fact that they were probably watching these guys put an IED in and they got a close look at them. That is one of the main missions of snipers right now in Afghan. Deter IED emplacers. When you see a guy doing something like that, it infuriates you even further.
I don't condone the actions of these guys. However, I understand where it comes from. Take all of the political crap out of it. All the "we shouldn't be there in the first place" or "thats what we get for being the aggressive occupiers we are". That stuff doesn't matter to the grunt on the ground. All he knows is he's away from his family, his buddies have been killed, mauled, and maimed for 6 months (that's about how long they've been there) and you just don't care about this Taliban puke laying on the ground in front of you. To be honest, if I caught my guys doing this, I would chew them out and that would be the end of it. There would be no paperwork involved. 3rd Battalion 5th Marine Regiment took 45 KIA, 140 loss of eyesight or limb in 6 months in the Sangin River Valley. They deployed with 600 guys. Those are just the dead and traumatic injuries. I'm not counting the concussions and flesh wounds received. Think of that, 200 out of 600 guys that you will never see again, or who will never see you or be able to walk up and shake your hand again. Thats traumatic. I'm tearing up typing this. Marines are in the best shape of any service, bar none. Sure, some high level special ops guys are better, but we are the best out of the conventional forces. When you see guys around you, combat athletes, titans of physical fitness, great Americans, patriots, being helo'd off with out their legs and arms, you're damn right some piss on a terrorist isn't a big deal to us.
Thanks for the post. Made me tear up a bit too.
With that said...I think they were dumb to do what they did AND film it. But I understand the whys and wherefores of what they did.