Bales, on his fourth combat deployment, had been drinking and watching a movie with other soldiers at his remote post at Camp Belambay in Kandahar Province when he slipped away before dawn on March 11, 2012. Bales said he had also been taking steroids and snorting Valium.

At one point during his plea hearing, the judge asked Bales why he killed the villagers.

Bales responded: "Sir, as far as why - I've asked that question a million times since then. There's not a good reason in this world for why I did the horrible things I did."http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Army-Bales-wife-laughed-about-ma...

Heartbreaking for all involved. This is who our soldiers HAVE to become to carry out the orders given in this bullshit war on terror. Of course he's fucked in the head. And these soldiers, after several deployments- any expectation that the end product will be anything other than a monster or a irretrievably broken human being should be an insult to all of us.
There are more soldier suicides than service related deaths. The unending testimonies of soldiers never being able to be "normal" again- you have to go out of your way not to hear them. And as much as we'd like to think, this isn't just a few rogue units- it is the operating system from the time they enter theater.

We should feel many things when we read these stories, but shock shouldn't be one of them. I try to imagine if this were my son or brother. Then its hard to breathe.
Most of these guys will readily admit their actions were their own. That overcoming the mental barriers to commit the state sanctioned savagery is a high that cannot be compared. But most seem confused as to how exactly they got there. Many attribute it to their own weakness. Some feel duped, but are not really sure who duped them. The gov't? The war? The American people? Their superiors and commrads? A few are pissed.I guaran-fucking-tee Sgt. Bales is less confused about why he did what he did then he is about whether to try to recapture himself as a human being, or to stay what he has become. An exceptional soldier by all accounts save for this."What a sacrifice that soldier has made for his country!" No shit.
And then theres Steven Dale. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1340207/I-didnt-think-Iraqi...
Thank God for glib exits.
There but for the grace of God go I.
And to the gov't faggot who took it upon their self to violate my computer and remove a particular photo- sucks for you.