Father: Army 'broke' soldier accused of killing 5

[BlueJessamine]

Source: Associated Press

SHERMAN, Texas (AP) — The father of a U.S. soldier accused of killing five fellow troops in Iraq said his son "forfeited his life" but the military bears some responsibility for the rampage.

Wilburn Russell said Tuesday that 44-year-old Army Sgt. John M. Russell wasn't typically a violent person, but counselors "broke" him before gunfire erupted in a military stress center Monday in Baghdad.

"John has forfeited his life. Apparently, he said (to his wife), 'My life is over. To hell with it. I'm going to get even with 'em,'" said the elder Russell, 73.

His father said the younger Russell, an electronics technician, was at the stress center to transfer out of active duty. He said his son was undergoing stressful mental tests that he didn't understand were merely tests, "so they broke him."



Read more: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jHZWcvpBAHqpu2ys3BnrLfRmqi_gD9857QD80

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Wilburn Russell said his son e-mailed his wife in Germany early this month, telling her officers threatened him during what he called the two worst days of his life.

On the web:

CBS

Victim Said Baghdad Suspect Had "Issues"

Iraq war veteran Paul Rieckhoff says while incidents like the clinic shooting are extremely rare, the rampage highlighted the need for better mental health care on military bases in Iraq.

"This is a wakeup call," Rieckhoff, who founded the organization Iraq And Afghanistan Veterans Of America after returning home in 2004, told CBS' The Early Show.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/05/13/iraq/main5010811.shtml

[Christa]

1. Time to end the bloody war

Time to properly care for our soldiers and our vets.

My heart goes out to all those involved.

[patrice]

2. "tests" + He didn't know/"understand"? WHAT IS GOING ON HERE!!!

Let me guess . . . . . .


:grr: :mad: :grr: :mad: :grr: :mad: :grr: :mad: :grr: :mad: :grr: :mad: :grr: :mad: :grr: :mad: :grr: :mad: :grr: :mad: :grr: :mad: :grr: :mad: :grr: :mad: :grr: :mad: :grr: :mad: :grr: :mad: :grr: :mad: :grr: :mad: :grr: :mad: :grr: :mad: :grr: :mad: :grr: :mad: :grr: :mad: :grr: :mad: :grr: :mad: :grr: :mad: :grr: :mad: :grr: :mad: :grr: :mad: :grr: :mad: :grr: :mad: ....

[CoffeeCat]

4. That's what I'm wondering...

I don't even understand what was written there.

He was undergoing tests, that he didn't understand were tests.

????????????????? WTF!

Our are soldiers guinea pigs? What are we doing to them?

Kinda bizarre, after he breaks and people are murdered, for our government to say, "Oh yeah...those were...uh...tests...that's right...he
was undergoing tests...that's it."

Just what in the hell is happening to our soldiers? Did we run out of people to torture and decide to experiment on our own?

[shadowknows69]

7. MKULTRA didn't have a problem with it

<http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/Project+MKULTRA>

[UpInArms]

21. so I looked under that rock and you should see who I found!

Son probes strange death of WMD worker (Frank Olson)

In Olson's case, it took the government until 1975 to admit to the LSD experiment. When an investigation of CIA abuses exposed the facts in 1975, two White House aides named Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld helped set up a meeting at which President Gerald Ford apologized to the Olson family.

[Critters2]

22. Wow. That's more than interesting. nt

[shadowknows69]

5. That's what I'm wondering?

It sounds like the "stress center" was actually causing it instead of trying to relieve it? Are these people mandated to bully troubled troops into staying? There is a huge stigma attached to battle buddies that seek help for PTSD among some soldiers

[CoffeeCat]

9. Yes, this solider went to a "stress center"...

...to get help for mental-health issues. The military says they were "testing him, but he didn't know he was being tested".

So, a soldier with a KNOWN violent past, who probably has PTSD--goes to get help while he's inside a war zone--and they
start fucking with his head--instead of helping him?

And are we supposed to believe that these people are surprised that he shot up the place?

If you want someone to fall off the deep end---this is one recipe that almost guarantees that outcome.

Just what in the hell are we doing to our soldiers???????????

[redwitch]

10. Apparently we don't just torture the enemy.

This is so fucked up. My heart breaks for the families.

[redwitch]

11. Apparently we don't just torture the enemy.

This is so fucked up. My heart breaks for the families.

[riverdeep]

3. The details of this incident are still developing.

Was this a good man who was just broken by the military, or was this someone with underlying issues that finally busted under stress? It seems he did have a previous record of unprovoked violence:

"In an affidavit attached to the divorce petition, Denise Russell said her husband had committed "acts of family violence" and should be barred from coming within 200 yards of her or their son, then 2 years old. The document specifically cited an incident in which John Russell allegedly took the child after a confrontation with Denise Russell's mother.

"During this time, respondent physically attacked my mother, age 58, hitting her on the shoulders and about the head," the affidavit stated."

Not to say that I think doing multiple tours is in any way ethical, or that the war he's involved in is in any way ethical, but there MAY be something more here. We have to wait and see.

[CoffeeCat]

8. I agree with you...

...that we have to wait until the facts come out. This could have been a case where a frazzled, loose cannon just exploded.

However, obviously the military knew this man had a violent past--and that he had some rage issues. So, why was the
military "testing" him--as was reported. Yes, this is all still unfolding--but the military has said that he was being
tested, but this soldier "didn't know he was being tested".

So, they were fucking with some guy's head--in a war zone--and they knew he had a violent past.

Doesn't look good from where I sit.

[noamnety]

14. He should have been discharged long before Iraq

They have no business sending anyone with a history of violence, restraining orders and poor judgment over there - it's asking for criminal actions against civilians as well as fellow soldiers, and given that his other incidents appear to be hate crimes (misogyny) I would have tagged him as a danger to women in his unit. Lord knows the women serving have enough issues with assault.

It pisses me off beyond belief that men with a legal record of violence against women are allowed to stay in, but men who go on a date with another man are booted out. Violence against women isn't even a don't ask-don't tell situation for the army. The official policy for the people who actually are a danger to others seems to be "Ask, Tell, Boast, Who Gives a Shit - have a promotion."

[JonLP24]

18. When I was in the Army a year ago

Whenever someone got arrested for domestic violence, they would recieve an Article 15 depending on conviction. Also my former Company Commander would require those to stand in front of the entire company and explain what they did. They were also required to give a class on domestic violence.

This guy in the OP wasn't exactly on the fast track of promotion. An E-5 after 3 deployments isn't impressive. It's given that he should be atleast an E-5, I'd be suprised if he was a lower rank.

[Cid_B]

28. It's actually worse than you think...

Sgt. Russell grew up in a rural, unincorporated area of Grayson County and graduated from Tom Bean High School in 1985. Records show he entered the Army National Guard in 1988 and served in the Guard until 1994, when he became an active duty soldier. His military record shows Russell served in Serbia through the last half of 1996 and Bosnia and Herzegovina in the last half of 1998.

15 years of active duty and an E-5. Ouch...

[saigon68]

23. Yes and sent back here to horrify and menace on the streets of amerika

They have learned nothing in the last 45 years.

Wind the clock back boys--

This ain't the first time this has happened.

[noamnety]

25. Yes.

That's a harsh way to put it, but yes. I'd rather not have them on our streets either - but sending our mentally unstable and violent people to another country with weapons is an even less ethical option - all the moreso when they are shipped to another country which has no authority to prosecute them for crimes they commit on that soil.

[Dappleganger]

15. There's a LOT being left out.

I know someone who's husband is in that troop, she says a lot hasn't been reported. She met the guy before and there was definitely something not right about him. IOW, it wasn't just the stress alone--there were underlying issues in addition to that.

[roody]

6. It would have been so much better if he had refused to redeploy.

[Akoto]

12. Tests which he was not aware of?

Sounds more like an experiment than a test.

[EFerrari]

20. Or he was having some paranoia. n/t

[Old Hob]

13. tests. right. sure. The chain of command fucked with this soldier and so he fucked with them back.

there's no conspiracy here but I'm sure there will be a coverup.

[saigon68]

24. We called it Fragging

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frag_(military)

A hand grenade was often used because it would not leave any fingerprints, and because a ballistics test could not be performed (as it could to match a bullet with a firearm). The grenade would often be thrown into the officer's tent while he slept.

Sometimes the intended victim would be 'warned' by first having a smoke grenade thrown into his tent. If he persisted in antagonizing his men, this would be followed by a stun grenade, and finally by a fragmentation grenade.

A fragging victim could also be killed by intentional "friendly fire" during combat. In this case, the death would be blamed on the enemy, and, because of the dead man's unpopularity, the perpetrator could assume that no one would contradict the story.

[bdab1973]

26. This isn't a case of "fragging"

Fragging involves taking out members of your chain of command. The people this guy took out either worked for or were merely around the stress clinic at the time of the incident. Apparently this guy did have many other compounding issues besides simply deploying a lot. Lots of people over here deploy a lot, and I don't know of a single soul who's anywhere near the point of grabbing a rifle or pistol and going on a shooting rampage. I'm on my fourth deployment (granted first 3 were only 4 months) and many others have been on multiple tours here and in other parts of the world.

I think given the situation, the military is doing a lot to try and deal with the problems encountered in a combat zone. We get AFN here, and it seems every other commercial is a suicide prevention infomercial, plus there are flyers and pamphlets everywhere...not to mention I've had to accomplish suicide prevention training as well as stress management training on a couple occasions since I've been deployed.

The bottom line is MOST people over here are dealing with it in a normal healthy way, but some people have emotional backgrounds that cause them to struggle. Hopefully more can be learned from this incident to help prevent it in the future.

[Old Hob]

27. When I deployed to Bosnia, we had multiple shootings before the deployment and during the deployment

a few were accidents but most weren't. I think stress levels vary from unit to unit and the COC and the NCO support channel have a lot to do with it. Good leaders make all the difference as do bad leaders. Regardless, these stories of soldiers going "postal" aren't even a little bit surprising to me.

[saigon68]

29. No Shit

I know it isn't "Fragging"

But it has a few hall-marks of that long honored "tradition" </sarcasm> ( for those who can't take sarcasm>

[dgibby]

16. FWIW,

I'm a retired Navy nurse. The "tests" in all likelihood were standard diagnostic tests used by military and civilian mental health providers to ascertain any underlying psychiatric pathology. They are used to assist the provider in formulating an appropriate plan of care for the individual.

He would have known what the tests were for, as that is explained to each patient taking the test. That being said, it is quite possible that he was unable(due to heightened state of anxiety/PTSD/possible paranoid ideation,etc.) to appreciate the intent of the testing. The CBS News article cited above is, imo, a better source of info than the AP article.

It is much too early to determine what really happened, but there are 2 separate investigations, one criminal, the other to ascertain if he situation was handled appropriately.

The information provided by his father is 2nd and 3rd hand, and not at all helpful to his case, as it can now be argued Sgt Russell had preplanned this action, thereby rendering a defense of temporary insanity moot. Nor does it help the Sgt's case that he has a documented history of violence prior to joining the Army-goes to "pre-existing" condition.

As for the practice of sending troops on repeated 15mo. tours in a war zone with too little down time between deployments: UNCONSCIONABLE!!! Sen. Webb was right, and the Pentagon/Congress should have put a stop to this practice long ago.

This entire situation could have/should have been avoidable. This is so, so sad for everyone involved. As a nation, we have to take better care of our troops. They've worked for it and we owe it to them.

[JohnnyLib2]

17. Thank you for the very clear explanation.

Tragic, and as you said, avoidable situation.

[lovuian]

19. the programming the Military is giving its soldiers

is killing them

mentally

its wrong so very wrong

[mule_train]

30. sadley, this tragedy was all but inevitable

i heard he did 3 tours

uneven sacrifice in needless wars will inevitably crack people