Dishonor
I just happened to have been in the same Task Force as this admitted criminal. For the first 5 months in country, I was the Task Force XO, and he was the S-4. Really, I was an XO in name only, as my real responsibilities were dealing with the massive influx and departure of thousands of troops through BAF. I clashed with West many times, and thought very little of him - but never got into a position to do anything substantive about him.
When our Task Force changed names (from Dragon to Eagle) and mission (we were given Civil Affiars and Security responsibility for a 100km square area around BAF) I moved over to the Civil Affairs job (S-5) and found that while dealing with CERP (Commander's Emergency Response Program) funds, West was sloppy, but not criminal. Probably because I had oversight of the money...and he knew I didn't care for him one whit.
Just before we left Afghanistan, one of his partners in crime was caught. He remained behind, having a nice chat with the Criminal Investigative Division (CID) people. Apparently CID got enough from him to set up the investigation that swept up West, Patton and their Afghan comrades in crime.
The TV report is mostly correct - some errors; West was not given a BSM for valor, he was not in charge of Base Operations (there were two different Colonels that were, and I think the second one scared West a bit, he seemed to lay lower when that Colonel was in command) and a "Bronze Medal" is something given out at the Olympics a "Bronze Star" is the award in question.
When our Task Force changed names (from Dragon to Eagle) and mission (we were given Civil Affiars and Security responsibility for a 100km square area around BAF) I moved over to the Civil Affairs job (S-5) and found that while dealing with CERP (Commander's Emergency Response Program) funds, West was sloppy, but not criminal. Probably because I had oversight of the money...and he knew I didn't care for him one whit.
Just before we left Afghanistan, one of his partners in crime was caught. He remained behind, having a nice chat with the Criminal Investigative Division (CID) people. Apparently CID got enough from him to set up the investigation that swept up West, Patton and their Afghan comrades in crime.
The TV report is mostly correct - some errors; West was not given a BSM for valor, he was not in charge of Base Operations (there were two different Colonels that were, and I think the second one scared West a bit, he seemed to lay lower when that Colonel was in command) and a "Bronze Medal" is something given out at the Olympics a "Bronze Star" is the award in question.
posted by LTC John at 12:44 PM
4 Comments:
The Thunder Run has linked to this post in the blog post From the Front: 07/10/2009 News and Personal dispatches from the front and the home front.
As usual, there's good and bad everywhere and, sadly, people that will take advantage of their position to take whatever they want.
For some reason, though, it is much more irritating when it's under these conditions.
And, frankly, I'm quite glad that it all came out and they got caught.
I noticed that they said that West got a BSM while others did not.
I don't know what bothers me more, that he can't have his BSM taken away, or that he is still drawing pay.
It was an intereting read. It is indeed thought-provoking. Keep writing!
This is Nancy from Israeli Uncensored News
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