5th Stryker Brigade news
By Dwight Sullivan
Tacoma, Washington’s News Tribune reports here that the IO recommended dropping serious charges against Staff Sergeant David Bram in one of the 5th Stryker Brigade cases. (Friend o’ CAAFlog Bill Cassara is Staff Sergeant Bram’s defense counsel.) The IO’s report blamed the command for failing to properly train its soldiers. The article includes this quotation from the IO’s report:
Based on testimony and evidence provided by officers and (noncommissioned officers) in this case, there is no indication training was conducted on proper rules of engagement, detainee handling procedures, tactical questioning and the photographing and possession of detainee and human casualties until the incidents surrounding the case were brought to light.
In other 5th Stryker Brigade news, this News Tribune article reports that 5th Stryker Brigade Sergeant Darren Jones ”was convicted today of assaulting the whistleblower who kicked off the Army’s ‘kill team’ investigation, but he was found innocent of more serious charges that he had plotted to hurt Afghans during his deployment with the 5th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division.” He was tried by a members panel. The article reports that SGT Jones was found guilty “of assaulting then-Pfc. Justin Stoner at Forward Operating Base Ramrod last May after Stoner raised complaints about drug use in his platoon. Jones also was found guilty of conspiring to hurt Stoner.” But he was acquitted of conspiring to harm Afghans, participating in an unjustified shooting while on patrol, and trying to imede an Army investigation. SGT Jones is represted by USMC alumnus Kevin McDermott.
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