Some of you may have followed with interest the story of Staff Seargent Calvin Gibbs, a 25-year old Mormon boy who went to war and allegedly became the ringleader of a rogue “kill team,” taking pleasure in murdering and mutilating Afghan civilians; according to his fellow soldiers he was (in Col. Kurtz fashion) trying to save enough human fingers to make a necklace. The “kill team” would plan a murder, then plant ammunition near the dead civilian to support their claim of self-defense. In a country where loyalties are difficult to ascertain, their killing went on until one soldier in the unit notified higher ups about what they were doing. According to fellow soldiers, Gibbs threatened to “cripple” the private who spoke out.
What turns a soldier into a murderer? Is it the prolonged exposure to violence? Is it their upbringing? The difference between a soldier and a murderer seems to be a progression:
- A killer is someone anyone who takes life (intentionally or accidentally in the case of manslaughter).
- A soldier is hired to kill a government’s designated enemies as directed; those who lead soldiers plan strategies that involve killing toward the governmental agency’s interests and stated objectives.
- A murderer is someone who premeditates killing and carries out that plan.
Michael Ware, a CNN war correspondent shared this exchange between him and a Marine in Iraq. Between firefights in Ramadi, Ware told the Marine, “When I go home, people ask, ‘What’s the worst thing you’ve seen?'” “What do you tell them?” he asked. “I say, ‘You haven’t earned the right to know.'” The marine went quiet, then said, “You know what they ask me when I go home? ‘How many people have you killed?'” “And what do you tell them?” I asked. The Marine answered, “I tell them that is between me and the dead.”
So, in war, it may be not such a long distance from being a leader of soldiers to being a leader of a “kill team,” particularly if the leader of the group is predisposed to capitalize on the environment. The fact that Gibbs was a Mormon only makes this particular war crime hit closer to home for us as Mormons. Clearly, if the allegations are correct, his behavior is sociopathic. In a recent conversation with jmb275, he mentioned a quote from the show “Criminal Minds” in which Mandy Patinkin’s character says: “Genetics loads the gun, psychology aims it, and the environment pulls the trigger.” As Joseph Conrad pointed out in Heart of Darkness, the ability to descend into madness and darkness is within all of us. The line between “normal” and “sociopath” is not as wide as we’d like to think.
If environment pulls the trigger, how does the army create an environment that pulls the trigger for sociopaths? In addition to the obvious relentless exposure to violence that deadens all sensitivity it, there are three additional environmental factors that contribute that are not always present. The army must avoid these or risk even more incidents like this one:- Unclear enemies. One of the things some members of the “kill team” pointed out was that it was very difficult to assess which Afghans were selling them out to the Taliban, which ones were truly innocent and which ones were complicit. This led to a suspicion and hatred of the local people, and to rationalization for murdering civilians. According to the Michael Ware article mentioned above: “In war, everyone lies; their government, our government, the rebels–even civilians lie through exaggeration or confusion.”
- Questionable higher purpose. This has been especially tricky in wars we have fought on behalf of other people, in which the protection of our freedoms is not directly manifest. Vietnam was another war after which some of these same types of atrocities came to light. Soldiers who leave home with feelings of patriotism for a greater cause become disillusioned when they see that locals do not view them as liberators and the local political situation is far more complex and entrenched than they were led to believe.
- Lack of oversight. When there is a disconnect between the strategy and the ground reality, those on the ground realize that their actions are not clearly understood by higher ups. It is apparent that they do not have oversight by leaders and won’t be held accountable. A rogue leader can, in this environment, create a subculture to his own liking, including a culture of murder.
So, realistically, short of not fighting wars anymore which is probably unrealistic when there are people out there who want to kill Americans for sport or to prove a point, what can the army do to prevent creating this kind of environment? Here are some ideas:- Better psych evals. While these exist, there is a need to improve the results and to more thoroughly assess both nature and nurture factors that contribute to someone going off the deep end in the environment of the army. The problem is that someone may have the factors but not be aware and not exhibit the tendencies until s/he is in the environment.
- Reduce the length of deployment. Obviously, this is difficult when there are not enough volunteers to man an army.
- Better oversight. Bridge the gap between ground level leadership and higher level command.
- Different methods. There are a couple of warfare innovations that would help: 1) consider more fully automated armies (drones, not soldiers), or 2) eliminate most hand-to-hand combat through alternate technologies. We are rapidly creating robotics capable of wartime activities. UAVs, pack robots and intelligent ground vehicles already exist. These aren’t just Battlestar Galactica props; we have real traction to drastically reduce the need for human soldiers. On the downside, when we turn war over to the machines, we run the risk of becoming too far removed from killing, making it only too easy to “push the button” and annhialate our enemies. And technologies we turn on others can be turned on us as well.
So, what do you think needs to be done to keep our soldiers safe from sociopaths? How do you recommend we keep soldiers from turning into murderers or from being surrounded by a culture of murder? Discuss.
Wheat & Tares 
Drones, antiseptic war, and such, all lead to accepting more and more collateral damage.
If you are not careful you end up like Israel where the “good guys” kill more civilians per combatant killed than the “terrorists” do by launching random mortar attacks (the rocket tubes used are more mortars than missiles).
When your ratio is worse than random you really need to ask yourself what you are really doing.
Agreed with Stephen M/Ethesis. Taking the humanity out of war won’t make us more human; it will make us less human.
This is a very interesting post. I had two critiques or observations.
1. Eliminating hand to hand combat is impossible nor is it desirable. As much as we like to think combat can be a video game with air strikes or even clean shots from 500 hundred yards away, the primary mission of infantry is to close with and destroy the enemy with small arms fire. In urban environments that also means you could literally be face to face with your enemy. That is part of combat, the fog of war, urban insurgency, the infantry creed, and the demands of their current mission. It will never go away. Counter insurgency is not won by military officials wearing crisp and clean uniforms a thousand miles away playing a (deadly) video game.
2. Your description of soldiers as “hired to kill” the government’s enemies is incredibly simplistic. The military is an institution designed to protect the constitution against all enemies foreign and domestic. Now the manner in which they protect that freedom does involve the use of force. But the institution itselfs acts as a detterent, and they attempt to minimize casualities (of their own men and the enemy’s) through the proper application of the principles of war. They also carry out their mission as much as they can within the principles of just war. Which means even a squad leader must follow the principles of proportion and discrimination. (That is using appropriate force against the appropriate targets).
As far as I know this is the atrocity of this kind from Afghanistan. I would hesitate to make sweeping generalizations and comparisons based on one squad manipulate by a sociopath when literally hundred of thousands of soldiers have served honorably in that theatre. This was a bad apple that was thankfully caught and punished. Every war has them (even the good ones like WWII and especially the Revolutionary War) so I don’t think the army needs to do anything new or special but continue to hold to their high standards.
Ironically, the bad economy is helping since the relatively cushy benefits offered by the military put them in a position to be “picky” about who they accept.
Thanks for the post.
Hawk/Stephen
There are good soldiers and bad soldiers; good cops and bad cops; good leaders and bad leaders; and, good people and bad people. It does not make soldiers murders. Some of them are trash like those profiled and need to be thrown out with the trash, disposed of, and piled with the other mounds of garbage.
Stephen. What a short sighted comment. Do you want to go back to the war techniques in WWII, or perhaps the Civil War? The Russians lost 400,000 men in one invasion and millions of civilians were lost in the carnage. What’s more, what makes the life of a soldier any less than the life of a civilian? Technology is the answer. We need to find weapons that are more precise. That will seek out and kill evil and preserve innocence as much as possible.
War is hell. There is nothing like being thrown into a situation where the mission is unclear. Ask vets from Vietnam about that.
In a place where friend and foe are illdefined and not totally recognizable, it is difficult to know who is comign to shake your hand or blow you away. I feel sorry for our young men and women who have to face that.
If the generals and commanders had to be on the battle field along side the tropps, the war would be run very different. Unfortunately, the war can be procecuted with the leaders thousdands of miles away.
There was a time when the army accetped anyone who wanted to join so if someone wanted to fire a gun and “defend” their country, they were in. My son was rejected because of his “flat” feet even though he never had a problem.
Either these people have problems going in or the war makes them crazy. What our nation is doing to them in the name of protecting us is a crime, IMO.
I think the dissonance between (1) the largely safe and relatively opulent society we have created for ourselves where violence is something wit no real consequences that happens to other people or on TV or in a video game and (2) the ugly realities of war, is a recipe for soldiers losing some of their marbles.
You wrote “The army must avoid these or risk even more incidents like this one:” and listed unclear enemies and questionable higher purpose. I wanted to point out that the army doesn’t pick it’s fights, politicians do. Other than that, good point. You’re always going to get stuff like this happening fighting a counterinsurgency war. As for lack of oversight, that’s war… you simply can’t have everyone call higher ups and getting permission before pulling the trigger.. I’ve personally seen examples of too much oversight that resulted in bad guys getting away to shoot at us another day. In any case probably the best way to avoid this kind of stuff is to not have these kind of wars.
Morgan and Jeff, you have it right. Otherwise, I have worked in simulations and am very aware of the effect and value of force multipliers. I am not suggesting we abandon them for a rifle army approach.
My uncle was airborne. My great uncle the most decorated California marine, my dad did forward fire control for the ROK Dragon Battalion.
I have no illusions.
My 7-year-old is really interested in all things military. I don’t want to make it more appealing by forbidding him, but it concerns me. I don’t want him in a war.
I think he just likes the fatigues.
Thanks for clarfying Ethesis (Steve?). I’m sorry if I came on too strong. I was stopping by quickly between classes and had to hurry. I was also typing my response to hawkgirl so it wasn’t directly aimed at you.
But I think you’re correct to point out how remote war can make civilian casualties easier to accept. The Robert E. Lee quote that “war is Hell” should remain in the minds of policy makers.
Just checked the first comment, it is Stephen…anyways, thanks for the post Hawkgirl, its nice to start the day with a current military history matter. I’m neck deep in ancient history so much of the time I forget how applicable military history can be.
Morgan, yes, I’m Ethesis (in all the various permutations which come up where I am posting from).
Kiplings Gods of the Copybook Headings should have included Eliminating hand to hand combat is impossible …
Will, I do not value the life of soldiers less than the life of civilians. As I said, I am all in favor of force multipliers.
The Russians lost twent-five million people in WWII between military and civilian losses. I am well aware of what happens when you have rifle armies with minimal force multipliers opposing armor and other circumstances.
Morgan D — 10 — I think we are on the same page here.
Morgan D – “Ironically, the bad economy is helping since the relatively cushy benefits offered by the military put them in a position to be “picky” about who they accept.” That is ironic and sad, but also in a way a good thing. The GI Bill and state of the economy going into WW2, coupled with how many soldiers, sailors, marines, etc were needed is why the rate of these incidents in that war was doubtless lower than in some subsequent wars. It seems wrong to me to say (as Stephen Colbert has joked) that war is a job for poor people, but it is historically true on the whole nonetheless. But I’m with Stephen that the life of soldiers should be as valuable to us as the life of civilians. Theoretically, in combating terror, we are defending against (and/or avenging) civilian deaths. While I worry about technological warfare having a numbing, removing effect on our conscience, I worry much more about the very real threat that those same technologies will be used against us by our enemies. Anything we can do, someone else can buy on the black market and use against us. Live by the automated drone army, die by the automated drone army.
Sunnofa: “the army doesn’t pick it’s fights, politicians do” True enough, but politicians who have the power to go to war need to have the conscience and expertise for that. I suppose your point is that most of them don’t have it. All too true. 80% of congress votes to go to war in Iraq for WMD, and a few short years later they don’t remember how they voted. As to the oversight, it doesn’t have to be at the decision-making level. Higher-ups just need to really know who the leadership is on the ground, needs to frankly look at statistics and sniff out one or two stories that sound fishy instead of looking the other way or worse yet – decorating soldiers for this stuff. They need to intermittently show up and evaluate conditions on the ground. They need better eyes & ears, and not just total reliance on the very leaders they’ve appointed. They need enough information to form an independent opinion.
I think we should follow the scriptures when it comes to these things (and other things too).
Notice the Lord said we should hear of wars, he didn’t say participate in offensive wars. Notice how he said that they would fight one with another except for the saints. Notice it is the wicked who will slay the wicked. The saints will have a place set apart from the world where they can live in peace and the world will be afraid to come against her. It’s time for our young men to take up the example of Mormon and refuse to take up arms as long as the US fights offensive wars.
Being in the military is the most anti-family career a person can have, that I know of. Having to move constantly, leave your family for up to a year at a time, be exposed to chemicals, be exposed to psychological stresses that no person should ever have to participate in. On and on. No, war is truly a “racket” and truly is the “health of the state”.
Major General Smedley D. Butler said it best:
http://www.lexrex.com/enlightened/articles/warisaracket.htm
A few thoughts:
1) I’ve been reading a bit lately about the history of the British Monarchy. In the past, the King was involved in battles personally, and in some cases was leading the attack. And if it wasn’t the king himself, it was often one of his sons.
As mentioned above, if our civilian leaders and generals were personally involved, we might think twice about some of the things we do. I still think there are some wars and battles where our leaders would be honored to send one of their children into battle, but they’d likely be fewer than now.
2) There are sociopaths in all walks of life. There will inevitably be sociopaths in ANY military force. One possible problem is the strict chain-of-command. If someone’s superior is involved, what can you do? There needs to be a better mechanism for reporting incidents like this where the person reporting is protected and feels safe to bring things like this to light.
The part about psych evals made me think about that Arlo Guthrie song Alice’s Restaurant where he’s talking to the draft board shrink.
In a post about a disturbing subject, yours is by far the scariest comment, Will. Presumably, the piece of “trash” you mention chose to follow Christ in the pre-mortal life –– like every other human being who has ever lived –– so perhaps you shouldn’t be so quick to dismiss the main thrust of the post (i.e.: how did he become the type of person who could do the evil things he did). You seem to be suggesting some kind of essentialist argument that LDS theology renders untenable.
I did 2 years in Iraq as a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter crewchief/gunner. I got there in early 2004 and I remember only one very brief period when we had an easily identifiable enemy, when Sadr’s boys I think it was, were wearing black with green or yellow armbands. Anybody could be an enemy, men, women, kids.. that kind of fight is bound to be ugly. You can win a counterinsurgency but it’s going to get really dirty… Back in the states people see gun camera footage from Apaches blowing up guys in a field next to a tractor and they don’t understand that there are ethical dilemmas that have the very real possibility of us or them dying either way you go. If you don’t kill those guys that appear to be up to no good then one of our guys could end up dying. Most people will never understand that. Can it drive somebody crazy? Yeah, for sure..
You asked “what do we do to keep our soldiers” from turning into murderers or being surrounded by culture of murder?
#14 Jon answered that effectively, in my opinion.
The United States has been the greatest purveyor of death and a murder culture in the world from Viet Nam to the present. We are all murderers to the extent we have not denounced our nations’ wars of aggression (Section 98) from Viet Nam to our latest wars in our generation. So how do we keep our soldiers from a culture of murder? Quit supporting the United States war machine that sends them out to murder innocent civilians—the ratio of civilian to “insurgents” (only in war do we invade another nation and call those that strike back “insurgents”) deaths is staggering and getting worse and worse with each of our military industrial complex sponsored wars.
So even as there are degrees of “murder” in criminal law from negligent homicide to premeditated murder, if we support any of our current wars or torture programs we are murders, in my opinion—it is just a matter of degrees. There are a few faith communities that have taken literally the words of Jesus and refused to participate in militarism and denounced wars of aggression, the rest of us are only pretenders…
For further clarification I am linking a post I wrote the day after this past Memorial Day trying to de-link the soldier from our war rituals (http://themormonworker.wordpress.com/2011/05/31/honoring-our-war-deadthe-day-afte)—that includes another link near the end of the post which has a brief quote from perhaps one of Martin Luther King’s speeches: “Silence is Betrayal.” Each time we place one of our children on our war altars in tribute to our false gods (see President Kimball “False Gods that we worship) we build a cairn that smothers deeper and deeper the truth of our collective evil and complicity in murder
here is the link mentioned in the above comment:
Here is the link to the 3 minute you tube portion of Martin Luther King’s speech that sums up best my sentiments as to what we need to do say publicly and from the pulpit as a faith to no longer contribute to our culture of murder:
MLK was a real prophet in his generation.
If only there were such prophets as MLK today in our churches that occupy the chief seats of our alleged christian faith communities
I’m not sure if I can add something here without people jumping up and ‘defending the troops’ and becoming offended over my opinions but I’ve noticed that US troops do have very little to answer for with regards to combat conduct and actions. Its almost an anything goes culture there. By contrast both british and other allied forces, australian, new zealand, etc, have very strict rules of engagement and are prosecuted even at the suggestion of impropriety. Brits in southern Iraq practiced these rules, had a more peacefull time while they were there, and when one group fell out of line they were quickly put away for 10 years average sentance. In the US, top officers charged some Navy Seals with asault of iraqui detainees, it went to trial in a very conserative district and vuala, result? all cleared because those ‘heros’ are fighting for us -for conservatives and the ‘liberals’ don’t support them…etc
In my opinion its this pro war culture and pro-troops at all cost culture that the US righ promotes that allow guys like Gibbs to behave this way, until someone with a conscience speaks out.
And church members who are stauch conservatives end up defending these guys. If you doubt it you can see the discussions over the wikileaks video ‘collateral murder’ that proves how conservative mormons actually think and sustain that what those murderers did was ok because it was in a war zone. any other country would have prosecuted those guys. So when Gibbs reads or hears that, he will think he is just another Nephi killing a Laban.
#14
“and decreed wars upon the face of the earth, and the wicked shall slay the wicked”
yeah, those wicked US troops went in and killed some other wicked Iraqui troops and lots and lots of wicked civilian Iraquis…..maybe they were wicked cause they wouldn’t accept the gospel? (ironic/sarcastic tone thoughout)
I am the daughter of a career military soldier, now the wife of one. My father was one of those “poor” folks who enlisted. At the age of 16, in 1956 he managed to enlist and immediately went to Mannheim Germany. The foresight at such a young age, not making this decision his life would never be any better. The army provided 3 meals a day, all you can eat. Something his family did not have. He knew at some point he would be asked to “pay up” for the food, shelter, education and money received. Within 4 years, this skinny boy wearing an MP uniform was transformed into a man. VietNam conflict began, and he was a door gunner with ” The Outlaws” . He volunteered two more times as an ARVN, and finally MACV/SOG. 23 years total serving. My husband has deployed 7 times, his last in 2011. He currently trains soldiers deploying to Afghanistan. Both have taken enemy lives and civilian. Unfortunately civilians become casualties of war. Both my husband and father understand the politics of our military and government. These two men suffer internally and forever carry the memory of lives they have taken. It was their job.. their duty.. and an oath they swore to The People of the United States… to protect them. If there were ever a civil war in our nation again.. Remember this…. they swore an oath to protect THE PEOPLE of the United States, including protection from our own government if called for.
I read these posts.. only a few really understand. Our government may involve us in wars under the guise of freedom. This is a true Holy War taking place. The same war of tribes for thousands of years. God’s hand is firmly planted in these conflicts. All of them. My husband feels he was called upon by God to fight. He is willing to give his life in battle if it is God’s will. Faith kept my father alive through 3 infantry tours in VietNam. Faith kept my husbad alive when he was blown up in 2008. After surgery to put his intestines back in place after being shaken so hard from the blast, they were laying inside his skin. He recovered and went back to his unit. Was ordered to sit in Kwuait remainder of deployment. Managed to sign on to a flight manifest back to iraq. He could have been given an article 14. Within a week he was back on mission.
You will never truly understand the mind of a combat soldier. Nor will we understand their pain.. their sacrifice.
Their families do suffer.. but it is for you.
I know who i would want in my side if a conflict were ever to take place here.
I am way off topic. My apologies. It hurts to read some of these posts. Especially from those who lacked the courage to volunteer to serve. Remember. . No draft. We have fought this long war with an all volunteer army. What would we do without them?
I am the daughter of a career military soldier, now the wife of one. My father was one of those “poor” folks who enlisted. At the age of 16, in 1956 he managed to enlist and immediately went to Mannheim Germany. The foresight at such a young age, not making this decision his life would never be any better. The army provided 3 meals a day, all you can eat. Something his family did not have. He knew at some point he would be asked to “pay up” for the food, shelter, education and money received. Within 4 years, this skinny boy wearing an MP uniform was transformed into a man. VietNam conflict began, and he was a door gunner with ” The Outlaws” . He volunteered two more times as an ARVN, and finally MACV/SOG. 23 years total serving. My husband has deployed 7 times, his last in 2011. He currently trains soldiers deploying to Afghanistan. Both have taken enemy lives and civilian. Unfortunately civilians become casualties of war. Both my husband and father understand the politics of our military and government. These two men suffer internally and forever carry the memory of lives they have taken. It was their job.. their duty.. and an oath they swore to The People of the United States… to protect them. If there were ever a civil war in our nation again.. Remember this…. they swore an oath to protect THE PEOPLE of the United States, including protection from our own government if called for.
I read these posts.. only a few really understand. Our government may involve us in wars under the guise of freedom. This is a true Holy War taking place. The same war of tribes for thousands of years. God’s hand is firmly planted in these conflicts. All of them. My husband feels he was called upon by God to fight. He is willing to give his life in battle if it is God’s will. Faith kept my father alive through 3 infantry tours in VietNam. Faith kept my husbad alive when he was blown up in 2008. After surgery to put his intestines back in place after being shaken so hard from the blast, they were laying inside his skin. He recovered and went back to his unit. Was ordered to sit in Kwuait remainder of deployment. Managed to sign on to a flight manifest back to iraq. He could have been given an article 14. Within a week he was back on mission.
You will never truly understand the mind of a combat soldier. Nor will we understand their pain.. their sacrifice.
Their families do suffer.. but it is for you.
I know who i would want in my side if a conflict were ever to take place here.
I am way off topic. My apologies. It hurts to read some of these posts. Especially from those who lacked the courage to volunteer to serve.
Remember. . No draft. We have fought this long war with an all volunteer army. What would we do without them?
Read the linked essay with this Petition and then considering signing: http://ldsrenouncewar.org
As LDS we have undergone our own Constantine shift where we have merged loyalty to God with loyalty to state with all the odious platitudes associated with organized state sponsored murder.