In Medal of Honor battle, senior officers failed
By Pentagon Producer Larry Shaughnessy
Sgt. Dakota Meyer is wearing the iconic blue ribbon and gold star of the Medal of Honor for his actions in Afghanistan two years ago. But while that day was the pinnacle of Meyer's service in the Marine Corps, it may have been the nadir in the careers of three unidentified U.S. military officers involved in the incident.
Instead of medals, those three unidentified officers have received letters of reprimand, almost certainly meaning their careers are over.
President Barack Obama awarded Meyer the nation's highest military decoration on Thursday for risking his life to save 36 U.S. and Afghan troops caught in a blistering firefight. But an investigation by the military found Meyer may not have needed to act if some of the officers overseeing his mission from the rear had done their jobs properly.
READ the investigation report findings
An investigation into the mistakes made during the September 9, 2009, ambush found that "actions of key leaders at the battalion level were inadequate and ineffective."
The investigation also criticized the "poor performance of the commissioned officers who were present."
As Marines radioed to their base, "We are going to die out here," commanders denied requests for extra firepower, helicopters and backup troops, according to the investigation's executive summary.
Artillery was scrambled at one point, but according to the investigation, that decision was "overruled by higher echelons."
Meyer, who was posted behind the main patrol, asked permission four times to go into the middle of the ambush and help get his team out, but headquarters denied each request.
Finally, Meyer disobeyed orders and got in a Humvee with another Marine, Staff Sg. Juan Rodriguez-Chavez, to go to the troops' rescue.
With Rodriguez-Chavez driving, the two entered the kill zone five times. Each time Meyer, who was manning the vehicle's gun, exposed himself to a hail of enemy fire.
The two Marines saved 13 U.S. servicemen and 23 Afghan troops, and brought out the bodies of four Americans who were killed at the start of the ambush.
Meyer also killed at least eight Taliban.
CNN Pentagon Correspondent Barbara Starr contributed to this report.
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" Leave no man behind" God bless the Marines
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hai
Frank ... get a copy of "Heartbreak Ridge" and spend a few minutes watching it. Which character in that movie would be most likely to issue a comment such as your "get a haircut!"? Which character was more concerned with appearance than with behavior? Get a life and get over it! Combat is for Men, and I strongly suspect that you don't seem to have ever been in that situation. Perhaps that's all for the best, since you don't seem to quite measure up to the requirements of a combat marine.
You a punk
Sgt. Dakota Meyer is a true Texas hero. Salute!
Why didn't the marine driving the Humvee get the MOH also?
For those that never served, the negative comments are somewhat justified. I don’t disagree that he deserved the Medal of Honor. However, having met many MOH recipient, they’ll tell you that they never felt like they deserved to win the award and it’s often their combat buddies that push the humble into receiving the award. In most cases, others that did near equally courageous things don’t get the same attention. In other words, combat buddies often live vicariously through the award recipient others. We think of the award as an individual award because American’s POV is typically ego-centric. But the award is a reflection of the team, the platoon, the unit, and the military service… and the recipient should uphold the values of those putting them up for the award. At that moment, everything should be at its best—uniform, boots, haircuts—because they represent others. I know it’s hard to understand if you’ve never be in the military but it’s for the same reasons that uniforms are meticulously scrutinized and brass expertly polished for those killed in action lying in a coffin . Do you really think the families pay that much attention to those details? Hardly. A nation celebrates the award with the individual; the military celebrates the valor and all others that it represents.
God Loves an NCO! Hoorah!
Back to the topic at hand... Sgt. Meyer is a true inspiration and deserves his place within the ranks of Dan Daly, et al. Semper Fi brother long live our beloved corps and long live the U.S.
It is remarkable what Bootcamp and SOI can do to a person. Its even more remarkable what that person can do for the world. Semper Fi! Im sure the whole time he was shouting, "I'm up, they see me, I'm down."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcjhEEvCEcg&feature=player_profilepage
Sgt. Dakota Meyer yesterday was awarded the Medal of Honor by President Obama. At age of 21, his friends, his brothers, were trapped in the middle of a deadly firefight, and he defied orders and went in to get them. All in all, Dakota Meyer saved 36 American and Afghan lives. His actions don't justify war as a whole and the President awarding him a Medal of Honor doesn't justify Obama's policies but it's something worth honoring Dakota for as an individual, and as someone who performed heroic deeds.
Our generals and officers have lost (not win) every war since the Korean conflict. What is their punishment? Nice retirement.
Not quiet every war, the Iraq war was a win, but the then president of the US George Bush Sr. failed to deal with Saddam.
That was a war?
UN mandate only gave permission to remove his force from Kuwait not him from power. Got to blame the UN not Bush.
yes, Desert Storm was a war, the military did what it meant to do (liberate Kuwait from Saddam). Taking out Saddam himself was not what the war was for.
This US Marine is a disgrace to the US Marine Corp and every US Military Personnel who received the Medal Of Honor.
Why do I say this well for one he disrespected the POTUS when the POTUS called him to congratuate him by not taking his call because he was working, thats Bullshit.
He was a poor standard US Marine that was nearly kick out of the US Marine Corp due his conduct in and out of uniform both in Afgan and in the US. His Uniform look like shit, he was overweight and needed a hair cut.
His actions were not brave compare to the prior members of US Service personnel who rightfully deserved this medal, His overall demoanor as a US Marine is disgusting and shameful. I don't respect him and have a hard believing he did everything they said he did. He's no hero in my book, but a rucking low life.
First off Frank, one word for you- valium- take some. Second, it is probably really easy for you to sit behind your computer and lob your comments out. I am willing to bet you have never been in battle, do not know what it is like to be shot at, and have absolutely no credibility whatsoever. This Marine saved 36 lives, recovered the bodies of four of his comrades and took a situation his commanders f***ed up and kept more Americans from being killed. Furthermore, you think he did not do all this. IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT YOU THINK NIMROD. His Chain of Command is the only opinion that matters. Finally, if you knew anything about this story and the military, you would know he is in the Inactive Ready Reserve. He is not on Active Duty, not a drilling reservist but is subject to recall. So he did not answer the President's call immediately. Wah. You want your binky now or later? The President respected his reason for not taking the call- because he did not want to lose his job and given the economy you want to begrudge the man for that??? Having served in Iraq, having been attacked by the enemy, I know what he is going through in terms of dealing with what happened. He does NOT need condescending idiots like yourself telling him he is not a hero, when you probably do not have the sack to even hold this Marine's first aid kit. He and every other American who put the uniform on, who are separated from their families doing a thankless job, who risk being killed or maimed every day, who deal with the demons of seeing their friends and brothers in arms killed, are heroes. NOTHING you can say can change that. Get over yourself and seek some professional help ok, and spare the rest of us YOUR BS.
Outstanding reply to Frank. Being a 10% disabled Vietnam Veteran, I deal with the Trauma of war every day of my life. The families of our brave troops have suffered, along with our troops in multiple deployments, lack of respect for their couragous sacrifices. It is time to show are greatest Support for our troops and their families!!
I meant I am a 100% disabled Vietnam Veteran. But really your comments to frank are justified. also, these officers should not have received a letter of reprimand, they should be put before a hearing for deriliction of duty, among other charges, and follow the UCMJ to the leter.
I meant I am a 100% disabled Vietnam Veteran. But really your comments to frank are justified. also, these officers should not have received a letter of reprimand, they should be put before a hearing for deriliction of duty, among other charges, and follow the UCMJ to the letter.
Can't think of anything you haven't covered my friend. Very well said!
His hair cut? He's a civilian! He was discharged. Shut your motarded POG SNCO ass up.
You are psychotic. He didn't take a phone call, and he looks like a soup sandwich? These are the reasons why you think he's a disgrace? I suppose having the moral fortitude and courage necessary to disobey the orders of incompetent cowards to save the lives of your comrades doesn't count for anything. The only person here who is a disgrace is you. This man is a hundred times the marine you were.
Oh Frank, I see your were a Gunny, my bad. I am also an NCO, and personally, would have expected way more professionalism out of you Gunnery Sergeant. A good NCO supports his Chain of Command- something you did not do in your comments. True, he could have probably gotten a haircut. THAT HOWEVER DOES NOT DETRACT FROM WHAT HE DID, AND HIS CHAIN OF COMMAND HAD EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO DECIDE AGAINST THE MEDAL. You want to complain about it, take it up with the Commandant of the Marine Corps. The man did his duty, he has been judged a hero, even though he feels he is a failure because four of his men did not come home. Let me ask you this Gunnery Sergeant, how many men did YOU lose in your career???? That is the nature of war- people die. He performed a heroic act that brings credit upon the Corps. You should feel proud regardless of what you think that it was a Marine that acted as such and acted in the highest traditions of the Corps.
Rick – This idiot "Frank" encapsulates every thing that is wrong with the Marine Corps. He has absolutely no perspective on what actually matters about being a Marine. He is more concerned with haircuts than combat performance. We have all seen these types, he thinks the 20 years or so he spent inspecting field days at Miramar or on recruiting duty or whatever BS he did in his weak-ass career are what the Marine Corps is really about. Freaking clueless.
Bernard- I know. I have several friends who are former Marines (never ex Marines). I have nothing but the highest respect for them. I don't know what the Gunny's major malfunction is- perhaps he is trying to do an on the spot correction- after the fact. Someone forgot to tell him he is no longer on active duty.
Are you serious? He saved men's lives even when it might have cost him his own life and his future in the service, and you want to gripe about his haircut, his uniform, and whether or not he took a CALL from the President rather than doing his job when the call came in?
My husband was in the service, too, Sir. Had he been one of those stuck out there in the field that day, I would have PRAYED someone did what these gentlemen had the sense to do. I don't think the soldiers he saved or their families were thinking about how "pretty" of a marine he was at the time. Where is your perspective? Sounds a lot more like jealousy to pick at things that ARE, in fact, trivial, in a life and death situation.
And whether or not you "have a hard time believing" this man's deeds, a full-blown investigation found him worthy of a medal, and his senior officers deserving of L.O.R.'s. in an incident that actually makes the military look BAD. This is no "spin" or P.R. move. This is humiliating for the Marines to have to admit that their trusted officers dropped the ball. I doubt any of those officers being reprimanded are doubting anything right now aside from their own judgement.
At least the top brass has the guts to give credit where it is due, rather than being petty (like SOME people) or trying to sweep a serious failure under the rug. You, sir, are the one that's sounding a lot like a "disgrace" in this instance.
Well spoken Jennifer, well done.
You know what, Frank, it sounds like you are just pissed that you couldn't do half the heroic things that SGT Meyer did while you were in the Corps. I may only be a PFC, but i know what he's going through. I'm in Afghanistan right now, and all i have to say to you, is shut the hell up. He is a hero. He saved 13 other Marines. That to me is not being a shitbird or whatever the hell it is you called him, that's being a hero. Leave the man alone and quit being jealous that you weren't half the man he is.
Thank you PFC Ball and thank you for your service to the United States. I pray you and all of your brothers in arms come home safe and sound soon.
SGT, OIF 2005-2006
Frank. Dude. You need help. Medical help. Print off your post and schedule a meeting with a psychiatrist or such.
Bring a copy of your post. Hope they can help you dude – cause you have issues.
he is braver than you
It's clear you never served a day FRANK, go back to your safe little corner and watch another BS movie about how all medal honorees are contrived.
Frank, to be clear, if you were one of the troops out there in the fight about to be killed, you WOULDN'T want this Marine to come save your life because he doesn't have the "cookie cutter" Marine attitude or a fresh haircut? Yeah right. In fact, it seems that he truly did embody the essence of a REAL Marine when it actually mattered. You need to seriously re-evaluate your opinion here.
Sorry this hero doesn't fit your Hollywood ideas of what a hero should or shouldn't be. It isn't what he looks like but what he did under fire while you or me would be scratching at the dirt & p!ssing ourselves. Why don't we do it over & let his brothers die & have their bodies mutilated by some towelheads. Would that make it better for you?
Rizzo, your remarks are the remarks of a ball-less coward. The shame of it is, men like Sargent Dakota Meyer protect cowards like you. Better to feed cowards like you to the taliban and for that, I would pay a ticket scalper whatever he wanted. What do you say tough guy Rizzo? Want to take on the taliban tough guy or would you rather throw insults at men like Sarget Meyer who kick their A $ $? You are so pathetic.
Stow it Frank…
Everything we did in the Corps during peace time was in anticipation of combat. Every time we were gigged for an “Irish pennant,” dirty gear, long hair, and a myriad of other infractions, it was sold as “attention to detail” with the understanding that people died in combat for the lack there of. All of these Garrison Games and inspections were just that, games, a poor substitute to try and compensate for the lack of actual combat experience. Well, Sgt. Meyer has passed the ultimate inspection and he passed it with true heroism. He overcame his own fear at the moment of truth and did what the rest of us Garrison Marines can only wonder if we are capable of; and he did it despite a complete lack of leadership from a bunch of incompetent officers in the rear. Perhaps his lack of perfection in your book is what gave him the ability to get the job done despite the rules? Perhaps the Garrison Marines running the Corps should do a case study on Sgt. Meyer to figure out what makes him tick and put some of those qualities back into the Garrison training regimen; a few “sh!t-birds’ with some grit might do wonders.
I for one only care about actions and have the highest respect for Sgt. Meyer.
Semper Fidelis
“The Marine Corps builds men, and I am one of them, but I doubt that I am their proudest moment.”
– Sam Hamill
Frank, please voice your opinion at a Marine Corps base and why don't you start with Quantico. I would love to know who you are so I can beat the piss out of you.
Respect to Sgt Meyer. You are truly a hero even if you don't think you are.
Hey Frank, I am 63 and personally I like to live in a perfect world. I began discovering in my 20's that the world doesn't work that way.
In the 60's an alcoholic supply officer on the USS Liberty intelligence ship in the Mediterranean (attacked by the Israelies) performed valiently, saving lives of many others before dying from battle wounds. We remember him for what he did, not his alcoholism. I was on the USS. William M. Wood DD-715 at the time,. Some of those guys who raised the American flag at Iwo Jima were american indians. Unfortunately they died as alcoholics. I remember their valor, at Iwo Jima, not their fleshly weaknesses.
Somehow I like this guy not for possibly being out of reg, but for upholding the highest traditions of ALL the armed forces and particulary of the Marine Corps. I will go into the face of hell any day with him or 12 men like him to do what is right and THAT IS WHAT AMERICA IS ALL ABOUT. I would love to be called his friend. Posted by a Viet Nam, Vet Fillipino / Germain American who enlisted because his Filipino dad said to him that American was the finest land of opportunity in the world.
–Rule 7: Don’t feed the trolls.
A “Troll” in Internet parlance is someone who is deliberately provoking argument, being purposely insulting, or just trying to derail the conversation off-topic. Arguing with a troll is purposeless, as it is what they want. Deleting them, blocking them, or ignoring them is far more productive than arguing with them.
NEED A BIG SIGN THAT READS "DO NOT FEED THE GODDAMNED TROLLS"
SLA Marshal observed that there is no method to determine who will do well in combat.
As far as this story, the main time men get valor awards, particularly this one, is when someone screws up. If things are going well there's usually no need for conspicuous valor.
@RIZZO...Just goes to show you,never judge a book by its cover! Mr. Rizzo you are entilted to your opinion however wrong it may be! I have seen men who seem to be the physical specimens of the american fighting man fold when the s$!t hits the fan and their actions are counted on most by others.This kid sucked it up and did what he had to do under fire to save the lives of others.A man who can do his job above and beyond the call of duty gets my vote any day reguardless of his physical apperance and hair style.Hell I dont care if he was purple polka dotted and had a mowhawk!
He did his job when it counted most,and did it well!!!!! The Marine Corps should be proud!!!!!! Semper Fi young man!!!!!
RLTW Foxtrot Tango Whisky........How Copy.......Over!!!!
As a disabled army vet your a PUNK.
Semper Fi, Devil Dog! As for the "butter-bars", "cowboys", and just plain cowards in the C.P., pack your sea-bags and head for the gate. Your careers are over. AMF! -"Lance Cool",
USMC/1964-1968
VIET-NAM/1965-1966.
Are you freaking serious, this AO is shit-bird and disgrace to the Corp and the US Armed Forces.
Gunny USMC 1978-1986
You probably never seen combat or know anything about it. That marine has more bravery is his pinky than you would ever possess. I wouldn't even get upset at your comments because you obviously don't know what your talking about. You can talk shit after we see your medals for valor.
frank, frank,frank
well lets start out by admitting it frank. you are not worth of a stitch in this man's uniform.
further more i doubt you were ever in the corps. just a bag of wind with a doughnut in one hand and a yahoo in the other. So go do something you know best and leave the real world alone. something like playing with your plastic army toys and making your combat sounds. iin your defense though the 2 do sound alike hero (him) zero (you)
Look, Frank either has "problems" or more likely, is a posting democrat "troll".
–Rule 7: Don’t feed the trolls.
A “Troll” in Internet parlance is someone who is deliberately provoking argument, being purposely insulting, or just trying to derail the conversation off-topic. Arguing with a troll is purposeless, as it is what they want. Deleting them, blocking them, or ignoring them is far more productive than arguing with them.
Rizzo you served from 78 to 86. You are perfect example of "around the flag pole warrior". If you were ever in CZ on front line you would quickly change your attitude. I guarantee that or you would end up just like the failures in this story.
PS: Rizzo I suggest you research some of the MOH winners histories. You would be surprised that many of them really did not fit in the garrison setting. It was only in combat that their qualities were revealed while many of the flag pole superstars who harassed them were utter failures.
haloguy628 CMB badge OJC89, ODS90, ODS91
OORAH DEVIL DOG!!! Im proud of this Marine. For him to put his life on the line like that and disregard his own life has my outmost respect. Semper Fi Devil.
HM2(FMF) "DOC Mighty Mouse"
The reason GySgt Chavez was not awarded the Medal of Honor was that he did not leave the vehicle; as Meyer did 5 separate times, each time bringing back wounded and dead with him. Chavez, if I recall correctly, provided covering fire from the vehicle.
Either way, each man did something heroic, that sadly, will be lost on most Americans.
I also wondered why the two individuals in the same event would achieve two different awards. It looks like the main difference between the MOH and Navy Cross is a personal risk of loss of life. I guess if SSgt Chavez, as the Humvee driver, wasn't exposed to gun fire like Sgt Meyer was in the turret then that would account for the difference. Wish I knew more facts...at the end of the day, I'm sure these two professionals don't give a rats @ss about the awards they received after the fact. They took care of their brothers in arm when they needed to and everyone appreciates them for their actions equally.
My admiration for Sgt. Meyer and Sgt. Rodriguez-Chavez is even more now after reading that they were denied so many times and then decided to go ahead anyway, saving so many lives. I know they don't think they are heroes, but I for one, and I'm sure the famillies of those they saved, think different.
As an Air Force officer who deployed with an Army battalion, I can see serious gaps in the training received by young Army officers. Even though these young LTs or CPTs are in charge of many soldiers, missions, outposts, etc, they have too much fear of their superiors driving their actions. They aren't allowed to think for themselves, but instead are micromanaged by higher leadership. When a situation arises (like this one), the CGOs are unable to think for themselves. Instead of risking getting in trouble by calling in the QRF or taking action themselves, they didn't do anything, because all they are trained to do is follow orders from higher ranking officers (even though they are supposed to be the leader or OIC). Why are they out there leading if they aren't allowed to actually be the leaders? That system/mentality allows for things like this to happen. I'm so glad these two guys took it upon themselves to take action and save the lives of those guys even if it meant disobeying orders. Thank you Dakota Meyers and Rodriguez-Chavez for taking that risk!
You would think that someone in the room would have noted his ribbons on the right side were backwards. Combat action ribbon should have been inboard and sea service outboard.
He saved over 30 lives, I don't think anyone really cares what order his ribbons are.
Negative, Hawkeye. Go back and read the MCO P1020..34G, Chapter 5: Wearing ribbons with large medals. It clearly states that seniority is from the wearers right to left, not the center line. So even though the anchors face inboard, ribbons and medals always go seniority to the far right.
I stand corrected. 20 years in the Navy and wearing them as I mentioned I assumed the Marines wore them as we did.
Yeah, that was my whole focus too. Glad you got the point.
Think you're wrong. With large medals, "ribbon bars are normally worn in rows of three in the order of precedence from the wearer's right to left" (and from top down). SInce a combat action ribbon in higher than a sea service ribbon, it would be furthest right (outboard) and the sea service ribbon (inboard).
you may want brush up on your Marine Corps uniform regulations... (Straight out of MCO P1020.34G) When large medals are worn, all unit citations and other ribbons with no medal authorized will be worn centered over the right breast pocket, the bottom edge of the lower row 1/8 inch above the top of the pocket. Women will wear these ribbons on the right side of the coat front in about the same vertical position as worn with dress "B" and service "A" uniforms. Ribbon bars are normally worn in rows of three
in the order of precedence from the wearer's right to left and from top down (for example: top row, Combat Action Ribbon, Presidential Unit Citation, Navy Unit Commendation; bottom row, Meritorious Unit Commendation, Korean
Presidential Unit Citation, Vietnam Presidential Unit Citation). Marines who have not been awarded large medals, but who are entitled to wear a ribbon(s) for which no medal is authorized will wear such ribbon(s) over the right
breast pocket as described above.
court martial the meat heads who refused support.
bailoutos: While I agree Staff Sgt Juan Rodriguez -Chavez deserves a Medal of Honor also. The actions of both men went far above the call of duty. But I bet both soldiers will tell you that they did it for their friends. Dakota Meyer only excepted the medal on behalf of his friends. True soldiers don't care about medals. I never knew my father had any medals, he never once mentioned his bronze stars. My father said medals were for the true heros, the soldiers who die. Being a survivor of a horrible battle creates a strange sense of guilt that follows you the rest of your life. Why is that I lived when so many of my comrads died. Pray for all our soldiers but say a special prayer for the survivors because you will never know their pain. Finally I will make a comment that will irk some but I hope others see the truth in my comment. Juan Rodriguez-Chavez is an American in every true sense of the word. He was willing to sacrifice it all for his friends. Grant immediate citizenship to Mr. Chavez and his immediate family. He is what being an American is all about. The American Idea transcends borders. Thank your Mr. Chavez for loving our country. Good Day,Joe.
Best message I have seen today. Excellent post. Joe !!
Thery are not soldiers.....They are MARINES! OOHRAHH
Great post Joe!
Sgt6870 your points are well taken. My father, God rest his soul, received two bronze stars in Korea though I never knew he was anything but a veteran till long after his death. The only hint of my fathers experience in war came when I joined the Navy. The only time ever saw a tear in my fathers eye was when I joined the military. I remember those words my Dad said many years ago, as I headed off to boot camp in the 1980's. My father said son don't be no hero and keep your head down! War is hell good people die and are ruined in war. My father was forever restless, had bad dreams, and never slept much but I thought that was just my Dad, I never knew him otherwise. But his sisters knew my father when he was growing up on the farm and they knew a happy boy, who loved life and slept like a log. War changed my father. PTSD was only widely diagnosed during and after Vietnam but soldiers of all wars suffer from it and so did my father. We, the people, and the government try to apply rules to war, we try to civlilize war. The only problem is war is seldom civil and has no rules. Thats why a nation should go to war with tears in their eyes and with a weary heart. Good people are destroyed by war. War may be justified but all wars are crimes. Good Day, Joe.
Wouldn't surprise me. I've served with some absolutely useless officers. The army (and military in general) needs to do away with the good ol' boy system which utilizes seniority as a key factor for promotion. Merit should be the prime factor for promotion and trust.
Agreed. Why would anyone want to join a force with leadership such as this. Everyone is human. But when you are responsible for human lives, errors like this should be intolerable. What happened to the officers responible for backup?
I wouldn't even hesitate to state that this is the quality of the average officer in charge of the kids out there doing their all on the front line. I experienced all of 3 quality officers during my 5 years in the military that actually cared about their troops. 1 was our basic training CO. 1 was one of my LT's on the line... and the other was my Squad leader who decided to lower the ratio of incompetence to competence and went G2Gold. Never had a CO after Basic who knew his ass from a hole in the ground. And most LTs are completely friggin lost. Pray for our troops not because their opposition is so good... But because their leadership is so bad. Who needs enemies with friends like them.
The article fails to mention that the officers were Army- not Marines.
Sgt. Dakota Meyer, Medal of Honor
Staff Sg. Juan Rodriguez-Chavez, second highest medal
Same action, same battle, but different recognition
Do you seriously think it matters to either of these men? Both would give up EVERYTHING for the chance to bring their brothers back! Quit being a racist....you know they aren't!
The difference was in the risk they took. One got out of their vehicle to pull men in. The other didn't. If their seating arrangement when they went into combat had been reverse of what it was – then so would the medals.
You two are assh@ts.
Don't make this an Army vs Marine thing. There was army caught in that ambush as well and army casualties and most of the testimony condemning the failure of the officers that led to the Army adjudicating against the officers is coming from Army soldiers and NCOs this incompetence is not being overlooked.
This was a breakdown of the chain of command. It happens in all branches. I have seen in my 20 years complete incompetence among Marine officers and NCOs as well. There is incompetence in all branches.
These officers are being identified as having failed. The Army is not covering it up. Though they have tried to downplay the nastiness of it all.
Second: The twot that keeps trying to claim "Same action, same battle, but different recognition" needs to read the medal citation for both Sergeants. It was not "same actions" Sgt Dakota distinguished himself in a manner meriting the nations second highest award.
Staff Sg. Juan Rodriguez-Chavez receiving the DSC is no small matter. That award has been given a handful of times among the 100,000s service members that have deployed and the 100,000s enemy engagements
Correction "Sgt Dakota distinguished himself in a manner meriting the nations HIGHEST award."
I had the phrase "second highest award" stuck in my head from reading the previous comment and accidentally typed it.
Hoo-Yah Pilfer
Smack on right.
Navy Cross, not DSC.
It's very difficult to meaningfully arm-chair quarterback any military decision made in the heat of battle; or in situations in which complex and sometimes unreadable (except in retrospect) elements of life-and-death puzzles are involved. Even combatants in the midst of the fray are unable to sufficiently grasp and calculate the unknowns that exist in the ever-present fog of war. Sheer luck sometimes defines the hair-thin line between the hero and the villian in combat situations. Let's give the respectful nod to those who got the glory; but reserve judgement otherwise.
That's the word there. Well said.
White guy, highest medal. Mexican guy, second highest medal. WTF?
In an up armored Humvee the driver is far less exposed to enemy small arms fire than the gunner. Additionally the gunner is often the focus of the enemy fire.
I suspect as well Sgt Meyer's action in the kill zone of the ambush distinguished him for higher recognition.
While yes the gunner is going to be the main target, but if the gunner is shot, who do you think is next and much more vulnerable now? They were in the situation together, if one died, the other one would have as well either from the Humvee driving off out of control from the loss of a driver or driving without any cover fire from the loss of a gunner. I don't see how they justify giving them different medals...
Balls and Alex...you can both be forgiven for your armchair quarterback positions, I suppose. But since you were neither there nor probably know the difference in the write ups for either Marine, I suggest you keep your knee-jerk reactionary and inflammatory OPINIONS to yourselves.
It's not about race. The driver (the "mexican guy" as you call him) was not as exposed to fire as the gunner (the "white guy" again, your delineation) and thus the higher honor went to the gunner (try to keep up). There is enough actual racism to rail against in this world. There's no need to create it.
Been in that "armored humvee" myself. As u r driving in to that situation...u ar the target. don't get too caught up on the "armored" part. It's easily penetrated. Both deserved the MOH.
Driver was protected by armor and never exposed himself to direct enemy fire while Dakota was exposed in the gunners turret, and by himself ran and saved those individuals and recovered the bodies of his brothers. That is the difference not skin color.
Been in that "armored humvee" myself. As u r driving in to that situation...u ar the target. don't get too caught up on the "armored" part. It's easily penetrated. Both deserved the MOH.
You don't see how they justify going different medals because you don't have a clue concerning the kind of initiative and risk Meyer's accepted and how he took control of a situation in absence of effective orders.
Also, the argument that "if the gunner died the driver would die too" is false. Completely.
It could be because the "Mexican Guy" as you put it was driving and not as exposed to enemy fire as the "White Guy" in the gunner's turret. Lose the race crutch pal. It is no longer needed.
That is the problem with business and government as shown by the military. The wrong people are in charge. Personal politics always overcomes competence.
What all too often happens when incompetent upper echelons are covering themselves is explored in ' Paths of Glory' Starring Kirk Douglas; One of the greatest of war films.
The negligent officers are indicative of the pervasive conservative environment in today's military. Most are afraid to put their d!cks on the line for fear of being wrong. Edison was wrong over 1000 times before he perfected the lightbulb. It doesn't help that rarely is there an officer who inherently understands the code among us.
Welcome to the human race. Most people will not put their careers on the line. That's just the way it is. Having faith in humanity will usually lead to dissapointment. As Mark Twain said, "The human race is a race of moral cowards, and I'm not just part of the procession, I'm carrying a banner'.
This article completely fails to make mention of Army CPT Swenson's similarly heroic actions and why he's been denied any awards thus far.
This article was very poorly written and hard to follow. Please CNN....your writers need more experience before posting.
Can you point out the big issues?
I think the issue is that it reads like a freshman in high school wrote it.
the big issue is that those dumb-ass officers were going to let their people die
Hard for YOU to follow. Speak for yourself.
Not hard to follow at all. Merely unacceptably shallow, and obviously written in about five minutes. Why did higher-echelon officers deny aid to the Marines?
Support was most likely denied due to "civilian casualties". An incident happened last year where a military training team was denied arty due to possible civilians in the area. Three marines died because of that.
The world's battlefields are littered with the bodies of dead lieutenants who refused to listen to the advice of the sergeants.
LTs can't lead from behind...
Unless the LT is gay.
DB – as a gay Lieutenant myself I'd be happy to lead from behind you. Just let me know, buddy.
Can anyone explain what the criteria is for the medal of honor? I am trying to figure out what may have disqualified his fellow Marine Staff Sg. Juan Rodriguez-Chavez from the recognition. Seems as though they worked as a team on that one.
I'm guessing it was Meyer's increased exposure to gunfire. I may be wildly mistaken.
I believe I read today he was given the Navy Cross and was, indeed, honored for his actions.
I think they need to look into upgrading the Navy Cross Juan Rodriguez-Chavez received to the Medal of Honor. They were indeed working as a team. Without each other the deed could not have been done. A giant salute to these Marines.
That is exactly what I was going to post. They were both sitting ducks !! Probably because he was hispanic....at least that's my opinion.
You're an idiot.
His family are/were illegals. Hence the denial of it. This was discussed at length within the military when the denial became public. The board that sits of the MOH is extremely critical, hence why there have only been so few awarded during OIF/OEF. It is a type of warfare where it has been hard to even warrant the Crosses even. There was another person who was put in for the MOH that is still living, but was denied because forensic doctors stated it was impossible for the man to live through the bullet shot they claimed he received to the head.
Really? He drove an armored hmmwv through gunfire. When your in the gunner's turret your front is completely exposed and your back/sides are half covered. I agree in the different awards given, you should read more MoH citations before you throw race into it.
looks like there are 2 mikes here, I am not the one who called anyone an idiot. changing nickname to Mike M to avoid any confusion.
Wonder what Sgt Meyers has to say about an upgrade to the Navy Cross. I would think if an RPG hit the hummer, it would negate the issue of who was taking more fire. Just a thought.
The poor editing of this article aside, I find it fascinating that Sgt. Meyer is being awarded the Medal of Honor for disobeying orders. He was repeatedly told NOT to enter the firefight zone, and eventually chose to disregard that order. No doubt his action was truly courageous and motivated by concern for his fellow soldiers, but it was still contrary to orders.
A soldier's job is to follow orders, not his conscience. In this case, Meyers' battlefield judgement worked out better than his remote superiors' plan. However, had it not, he'd be court-martialed more likely than decorated.
Any former military here have any thoughts about that aspect?
- mm
Yeah; here's one. And all I have to say is that when soldiers ignore their conscience, things like Dachau happen.
An enlisted service member when in his or her judgement feels they have received an unlawful order or an order issued in negligence has every right to not follow that order. This young man and the driver of that Humvee did the right thing. Those who issued the "orders" should either be out of the service by now, or should be very shortly. Well Done!
(like)
This also applies to officers, by the way.
(like)
There is also a code that you will NEVER leave a brother behind. I could care less what an officer says if my buddy's or fellow brothers and sisters are in the middle of an engagement and dying I'm not going to stand by and wait for them all to killed because some officer not even involved in the firefight says so. We do follow orders that is HUGE part of this service but we also use common sense and know the difference between an order that is completely FUBAR verses one that's not. These two Marines saved lives, I'd rather read this headline then one that says "13 American and 23 Afghan Soldiers killed in firefight."
well said
When a subordinate receives an unlawful order, he is duty-bound by the Uniform Code of Military Justice to disobey the order. His behavior is surprising though. More typical of a soldier than a Marine.
Andy, apparently you don't know many infantry Marines.
More typical of a soldier than a Marine?! Andy, you are out of your godda** mind.
Andy, that covers "unlawful" but that doesn't seem like it was the case here. The honoree wasn't being ordered to break a law, he was being ordered to refrain from a military action. He disobeyed a "strategic" order. It turned out for the best in this case, but I wondered, too, about the rules on MoH and disobeying orders.
Andy, apparently you never serviced, .... not as a Marine, never leave your brother. O 300. Question why not the medal for the Sgt./driver, 5 times together into the kill zone. The medal together the way they serviced.
Watching your fellow Marines die in front of you because you "had to followed orders" – conduct unbecoming of a United States Marine. I'm an E-5... I would gladly stand in front of the gauntlet and receive my "punishment" knowing I saved 36 folks who fought beside me.
He was a Marine saving his brothers. I am a former Marine now with the Army and I can tell you first hand the the bond is much stronger in the Marines than the Army
There is a difference between orders and leadership. In the military you are trained to follow orders, but encouraged even more to be a good, competent, logical leader. Marines are trained to recognize adverse situations and "improvise, adapt, and overcome".
While Meyer is a Marine, he was not a robot. He identified a bad situation, recognized he wasn't getting the support to complete the mission, and mission being what's important above all else, took the initiative and adapted to the situation. The higher eschelons were failing the mission because they didn't recognize that the mission had changed. Meyer did and adapted as a good Marine is trained to do.
To the outside world, the military is totally black and white, but in the military there is a lot more nuance than is commonly recognized. Obediance is pounded into you in boot camp, but leadership is the name of the game afterwards. The Marine Corps is such a proficient organization because the decision authority is quite decentralized. The commander defines the overall mission, but the small unit leader (Corporal) is given the authority to make decisions at his level to accomplish the mission.
Amen, dude, from a squid.
I feel like too many responses are attacking Matt when he asked a legitimate question...one that I wondered about, too. Could anyone reply with the real "code" around the MoH and disobeying a direct order?
I don't believe we're attacking as much as trying to explain why Sgt Meyer did what he did. Matt may or may not have served, but he obviously doesn't comprehend the duty, as a subordinate, to disregard an order when it is unlawful (in this case, an order that resulted in injuries/deaths).
The MOH is tied to going above and beyond the call of duty. It's not a medal about following orders from some officer in the rear. Back in WWI a pilot who was grounded at the time took off, attacked and destroyed a pair of german observation balloons and got killed in the process. He was in direct defiance of his officers orders. He was awarded the MOH posthumously and his name is part of Luke/Paterson Airforce base to this day. The thing about the MOH is, you have to go above and beyond what ANY ONE could expect of you. Hence the differnce in the awards between these two fine marines. One was in the Humvee with a modicum of crappy protection, the other got out to drag wounded into the vehicle and didn't even have the little amount of crappy protection provided by being in the humvee. Note. That's not a criticism of humvees, they are just over grown jeep's and that's all they are intended to be.
Something I've heard many, MANY times in my four deployments to Iraq... "Better to be tried by twelve, than carried by six." The problem is not with all officers. However, there are enough that don't know what the he** right looks like, unless it means a favorable bullet on their OER (Officer Eval. Report). To them, the loss of 36 men is perfectly acceptable, as long as they can get a 1/1, and recommended to the next rank.
I congratulate this fine Marine for surviving the encounter, and I thank him for not leaving his brothers twisting in the wind. Sadly, if he had been in the Army, he probably would've gotten an Article 15/ Captain's Mast for it. Risk averse leadership will be our military's downfall.
"A soldier's job is to follow orders" he isn't a solider so.... he is a Marine ... big difference. While yes you have to follow orders, there are several unwritten orders one in which states "Never leave a man behind" therefore he was following that basic order.
Not a few 90 day wonders have died from friendly fire so their men could live to fight another day. Leading American men in combat is a privilege, not a right. Sorry if that sounds harsh but war is not for the weak. Happens in all armies I believe.
All the current and former Soldiers on here have made great points, but PB said it best when he said, "I will never leave a fallen commrade behind" This is something that is instilled in all Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marinesin basic training. When you live, train and fight with the men and women on your team, squad, company, etc. a bond is formed like no other. I once told my best friend when I came home from Iraq that even though we had grown up together; I knew the the 11 people on my team better than I knew him. I trained with them for countless hours prior to deployment to the point that when we were downrange I was able to literally place my life in their hands and completely focus on my job becaue I knew that they were covering my back. Other than Law Enfrocement and Firefighters, I can't think of another profession where that type of bond is created.
Witht that said, what these two Marines did was extremely brave....yet not surprising. They disobeyed the orders of officers who more afraid of hurting their careers than by doing what was right and listening to the "Boots on the Ground".
Matt, yes I'm former military and you are out of line. Had you read the investigation attached to this story you would see that the officers who denied support have been officially reprimanded, which will probably end their careers (since it was during an all-important combat deployment). Supporting documentation therefore removes any stigma from either of these two Marines from not following orders.
Plus, knowing Marines the way I do, I'm not surprised they 'disobeyed' orders in order to assist their comrades. In the Marine Corps, that is a mark of PRIDE, not something to be ashamed of doing.
While many of you reading this article, may find it incredible that Officers would even be "called on the carpet" regarding their actions (or lack thereof) in being in Command of this operation, many of my fellow Veterans could tell of many times in which Command Staff failed those serving "under" them. No where else, as in the United States Military, is there an example of the old saying about "what" rolls downhill. Historically, not only do the enlisted perform most of the tasks required in order to fulfill the mission, but the enlisted force bears the brunt of consequences if the mission turns out badly. I have personally witnessed numerous Commanders stand tall and take the glory when it all goes great, but they are also the first to blame subordinates for even the smallest flaw that might be the Commanders own fault. Rare is the Commander who is willing to praise when appropriate, and yet take the blame when necessary. I am very proud not only of my own Military career, but also that of all the fellow Men & Women who have proudly served, even when we worked for Officers who could not take the heat when they made mistakes.
Thank you Sgt. Meyer and Staff Sgt. Chavez for your courage and sacrifice. Thank you for saving 36 other souls and bringing back our precious dead. This nation is proud of your service. Your acts of bravery will remain recorded in the annals of American history. There is absolutely no greater love than laying down your life for your friends.
As a recent combat veteran of both Iraq and Afghanistan who was highly involved in combined arms (i.e. I was a JTAC who did over 100 airstrikes in Helmand Province) it is nice to FINALLY see that the "higher powers" that deny artillery and support to our guys that are in murderous combat with an enemy that DOES NOT adhere to ANY rules of engagement are held accountable. The deaths of those men that day are the direct responsibility of the idiot Field Grade Officers that did not attend the confirmation brief for the mission and then denied the use of supporting arms when their men were clearly in a bad spot and needed fire support. How many lives have been lost because some shipdit Major (my rank BTW) or LTC or Col were afraid of losing their career for having authorized the muscle that may have made the difference? I say more investigations are in order, more firings need to take place and more of these careerist morons need to be held accountable for the missteps THEY made that resulted in senseless deaths of our people in order to ensure that NATO and the UN wouldn't condemn or Nation for possible collateral damage. God bless this young man who is now wearing that medal. His heroism goes beyond risking his own life....he saw BS from the top and acted in spite of it. His award is testament to the virtue of the brothers he lost that day and for every serviceman still there who fights a pointless battle with one arm tied behind his back.
Good to know I'm not the only one to complain about the deterioration of our news information sources. Usually I read BBC.com to enjoy the English language used skillfully and for the worldly point of view. For an interesting take on the news and American culture, politics, and business, I enjoy Aljazeera on tv. Please don't cast negative aspirations upon me as I'm grateful that in the U.S. I can access such disparate sources. U.S.A. "news" is opium for the masses.
You all realize "Security Clearance" is a blog, right?
hopefully Rodriguez-Chavez will too get a Medal of Honor, he too risked his life.
@lulu: Sgt. Rodriguez-Chavez received the Navy Cross, the 2nd highest honor that can be bestowed. The reason Sgt. Meyer was awarded the CMH is because each time they went in, he was completely exposed to enemy fire by being outside the turret of the vehicle, while engaging the enemy. While still a very dangerous situation, the driver was inside the armored HMMWV each time. That is the distinction and that is why one was awarded the CMH and the other the Navy Cross. Hope this helps. Hoorah to both these heros!
If the Navy Cross was good enough for Chesty Puller (5 times!!!), it's good enough for someone in this engagement.
I spent YEARS trying to work around Officers and Senior NCO's to get the job done. They put their ER's (Evaluation Reports) before EVERYTHING. Instead of doing $h it to make their ER's look GOOD they did $h it just to keep them from looking BAD
I served under LTC Stan McChrystal, and later full bird. He did his damndest to weed out those who worried first about retiring
Military maxim: Heroes are made when somebody fscks up.
'Nuff said.
I'm certainly not shocked. In my time in the Marines I saw PLENTY of horrible, indecisive, career-chasing officers. There were some good ones but they all seemed to be Lieutenants because they were either Mustangs (former enlisted) or first-term officers who didn't want to chase the promotions and favors race.
What's up Jeremy! You're right. Once you hit senior Capt and Maj it becomes uncool to do the right thing. I always said whatever...the Marines seemed to like being supported. Amen to that.
Where you stand depends on where you sit. Never met a corporal who couldn't tell you better than the colonel could how to do a colonel's job.
Naaaa. I'm exaggerating. But it is easy to generalize about generals when you haven't stood in their shoes.
So true, so true. I was out there. I saw the most horrendous leadership failures EVER in my unit and at the next higher level. Officers kissing A for medals and recognition instead of doing the right thing. It was sickening. "We're making history" was all they said, as the idiot CO gave a speech about a Marine who had killed himself out there...and he didn't even know who the guy was. The Xo was just as bad. As a fellow Officer, it was embarrassing. But a few of us did the right thing,..and that's how we succeed...by working around the idiots in order to support our troops.
Soldiers see that and often participate. It's often the little guys who "make it happen" while those in high get cred. No disrespect to you it's sometimes the middle leaders who risk careers to "make it happen". To me, those are the real soldiers who go unsung!
Thank you for your service.
I think it's wrong to criticize the commanding officers when we weren't in their shoes and were able to see what they saw from their vantage point.
We dont have to. The General officer (a General) will be handing him a letter of rep. This will end the CO's career. Read the report.
@Buck PA: And those commanding officers weren't in the shoes of the troops who were under attack nor could they see "from their vantage point" those who were asking to rescue them, but they determined that nothing should be done about it; numerous times. Their obligation is to protect the lives of their troops. Their troops' lives were in peril and these officers did not even come close to doing everything in their power to meet their obligation. NCOs, on the ground, in the sh*t are the ones who know the deal and will always get the job done. Sitting back at a Battalion TOC making life and death decisions is one of the very things that MUST be scrutinized or that privileged "vantage point" will be abused. It was abused in this case and those officers will be paying a heavy price for their actions. Not as heavy though as the men who died on the battlefield.
Very typical in many factory situations.
The foreman has lots of experience. The young engineers with their bachelor's and master's degrees think they know better than the foreman. At the end, the foreman saves the day. Unfortunately, such actions by foremen rarely go unnoticed because he/she has to save his/her job. The engineers go on to brag to management that they saved the day.
not even close.... Factory workers are not risking their lives to do the right thing.
As I former soldier, I have to say that this whole story is spun up. Much of the "action during the ambush" seemed tactically sound. If soldiers or marines are caught in an ambush, you don't send in other soldiers or marines into the ambush to die. That's very stupid. Not allowing for artillery fire (a type of "indirect fire") likely means that the ambusher's were close to the marines. This means that artillery fire would have killed the marines as well. Though air support may have helped IF they had reliable locations of the ambushers. This story within a story says that the high command failed to adequately staff the headquarters with reliable, experienced leadership. And that is what caused unacceptable loss of life.
SGT Meyer's actions are indeed Heroic. He and his fellow marine risked minimal life (theirs) to save their brother's in arms. SGT Meyer I SALUTE you!
Mike, you sir are a f'n moron
Support you're claim Sn4ke or shut up and keep walkin
Mike, that's a big negative on your outlook. I've never known a Marine to shrink from 'danger close' fire missions if it means 1) killing the bad guy and/or 2) saving Marines' lives. So please either read the report and fill in the lines to educate yourself or refrain from posting anything else in your attempt to sound tactically linked to this situation. Because you are not....
JD thanks for responding. I did read the report and offered what training I know and was taught. I didn't know a marines tactic is to run into an ambush. In the Army we don't follow a unit into an ambush, those who are not caught in it attack the ambushers. Call me what you you will, I call that sound tactics. The report said that authority was NOT given to go into the ambush to rescue the marines. Sound like the same advice I was taught.
You are confusing this situation with classic L shaped ambush in the clear. The patrol here got jumped in the village. The KIA and WIA were in the initial surprise, however afterward the rest dispersed into structures around. That's when air support, artillery and QRF should have been deployed.
Thanks for providing some clarification Haloguy. I did not infer that information from the report. That makes much more sense. Where did you get this info? Was it in the report and did I just fail to see it?
I am glad that the Marine Corps has changed its attitude about awarding Medals of Honor to Marines that showed exemplary courage under fire even while their superiors have their heads up their asses which causes unneeded casualties. My husband did much the same thing during Desert Storm. Against orders, he jumped out of his LAV to bury a burning flare that was dropped by a plane that was illuminating all the surrounding vehicles, while under attack from the Iraqis. His actions saved the lives of several dozen Marines when an Air Force A10 dropped a missile on the one vehicle it was able to see, killing all but one of the Marines inside. His superiors were playing political games and would not give the codes needed for the ground troops FAC to be able to talk to Air Force traffic controllers. Their actions resulted in the loss of 7 Marines and eventually also caused the death of my husband. No one got in trouble. Not the Air Force pilot in the A10 who shouldn't have even been in the kill zone, nor the commanding officers. My husband's unit put him in for a Silver Star for his actions. All he got was a plot at Arlington. Well done Sgt. Meyer. Thank you for cutting through the crap and saving your fellow jarheads. The Marine's need more leaders like you.
It is sad. Our military is a political mirror to our politics. And it is the game of politics which causes the death toll to rise unnecessarily.
Not that it amends anything in anyway, but I want to thank you for you and your family's sacrifice. I don't doubt your husband was one hell of a man.
At least this Marine's heroic acts weren't left unrecognized in a cover-up. SGT Meyer, thank you for your courage and heroism.
The Marine's actions might not have been covered up, but you should look up Army CPT Swenson's actions. CPT Swenson was there with SGT Meyer that day and has not been awarded even the lowliest of awards. Maybe it's because he's been outspoken against the leadership failures that day? Even SGT Meyer has stated publicly that CPT Swenson's actions should have been awarded at the same level as his own.
No cover up, eh?
Wow jimmy from south park could of done a better job
Dear Sgt. Dakota Meyer,
No doubt your reading this article and it's comments. With that in mind, on behalf of the citizens of the USA, I would like to express my heartfelt apologies for the lack of attention CNN has given your story. I guess when you print it out you will just edit it yourself with a red marker so that whenever you open that page in the family album to show future generations of your family who their father is, they will be able to actually understand what happened.
SHAME ON YOU CNN!
We are all proud of you, your fellow Marines and all other honorable US service members.
Best regards,
Kevin – US Army Veteran
Shame on CNN?
SHAME ON THE FAILURES OF THOSE LEADERS THAT RISKED SOLDIERS LIVES!!!
Christ.
Risked lives? They couldn't call in helicopter and airstrikes because the ambush occurred in and around a village, and there has been TOO much trouble caused by dropping artillery and missiles into populated areas. Tie the officers' arms behind their backs, order them to fight a war, and then reprimand them when they can't throw a good punch?
We should focus on the fact that there was the leadership and fortitude of this fine enlisted Marine, not the contributing factors to the situation they were in. It's called war for a reason, because it is terrible and confusing.
So easy to criticize from your couch while typing on your iPad and drinking a mocha cappuccino.
Semper Fi
Well said brother...
Yeah, and to think that I applied for the job as junior editor and I never got a call back. I would have done a better job than the yoddels they have employed there now.
I really dont care about how this article was written, the main point to me is that when Superiors are not the ones who's life is on the line it is easier to let brave men and women die. i truly commend this young man for having common sense and truly living up to no man left behind. Sometimes we have to make choices on our own, and he made the right choice. truly coragious putting his life on the line for his comrades. He is a Hero.
Must been on the way to the bathroom as the author wrote this.
Inexcusable, piss poor writing. Who was the other marine that you fail to credit for his/her heroic actions?
Let's not plaster hir/her name all over, so as to memorize a good deed with a worthy name.
But let's plaster the name of some shithead that killed x number of people and give the idiot all the media coverage possible that the idiot does NOT deserve.
Let me get this straight. You disrespect the marine who was decorated using poor grammer in the process and then complain about the minimal recognition to others who were involved. Just like me, you weren't there and have no basis to pass judgment on anything about it. Poor English isn't the only thing you don't understand. Add decency to the long list.
I dont understand pathetic comments like yours. Tell us again why you feel the need to bash the Marine who has given more to his country in 10 minutes than you could give in a lifetime. You are a coward, and I am willing to bet you would rather see the "too much media coverage" go to someone like snooki. You are the worst part about my service to America, and I wish I had the power to send you to Afghanistan.
God Bless you Sgt Dakota Meyer, Semper Fidelis.
The writer and editor of this POS should be fired. The lack of attention to detail throughout is shameful. CNN should demand more and a Medal of Honor recipient deserves more.
krehator-
What about all the curb stompings and war crimes committed in Iraq where no respect for the law of land warfare or international law....soldiers never do anything wrong? without moral and command leadership from the NCO and Officer corp, great atrocities can occur in war
Abu Graib ring a a bell?
MPO, you can't see the forest for the trees, can you? Do you know how many soldiers, sailors and Marines have been punished for wrong-doing in Iraq, including Abu Ghraib? I worked for the Colonel who was the commander of a unit in Leavenworth where one of the Abu Ghraib idiots was kept. The Colonel, a fine and upstanding man, explained exactly what kind of person Charles Graner was. And he was punished.
Why CNN found it necessary to tarnish Sgt. Dakota Meyer actions of September 8, 2009 in Afghanistan I have no idea. What the senior officers did or did not do had nothing to do with his bravery and his desire to save fellow soldiers, Afghan, and American.
Actually it seems the commanders lack of action directly contributed to the loss of US troops and forced Sgt. Meyer to take his heroic actions according to the report.
It's a dishonor to all involved that this story is SO POORLY WRITTEN. I see this more and more here at CNN. FIRE THE EDITOR!
I could not agree more! I had to read the first paragraph three times just to be sure i wasn't having a stroke.
Hey look, another typical article on CNN.com. I don't know why crap articles get posted so much on this site, but this article is impossible to make sense of. At some point, CNN will need to realize that intelligent readers are fleeing this site in droves just so they can recieve real news – coherently – elsewhere. I can't wait for that time to come.
I'm sorry, this is unreadable. I don't think I have ever said that of any written piece on any level, ever.
1) It is readable. You are exaggerating.
2) You obviously missed the main point of the article.
The main conclusion of this article should have been about military leadership failures. The main conclusion of this article, currently, is that CNN is a sub par news organization, with more interest in TV walls and tabloid exclusives than actual journalism.
The main point was given in the headline. The writer seemed to want to make a strong point with "Instead of medals, those three unidentified officers." but the sentence trails off in to nothingness. Other places require creative interpretation - was the artillery scrambled at one geographic location - "on one point" - or "at" one point in time? Meyer left with another marine, but only Meyer entered the kill zone? It is possible the other marine took a position to observe and communicate while Meyer alone entered the kill zone, but there must certainly be enough public information to not make this a guessing game. Was it yet another marine who helped save the troops? There are words on the screen and I can read and understand the meaning of those words and can almost piece together the author's meaning, but that does not make the piece readable.
One wonder who wrote article as it obviously was not read proofed. Someone lose maybe job?
Right on DEEJ. I am a grammar and language arts teacher, and I must agree that the editing on this story makes it far too difficult to read. The bad sentence structure is undewhelming.
This article should be about the heroic accomplishment of an active military man, but the poor writing has definitely reduced its impact. I'm tired of CNN's poorly written news stories and will be changing my home page.
I think this story was written and checked by an AI program I'd be surprised if it had a human author.
There are sentence fragments, non-sentences, sentences that start with "and". I don't even know how to classify this one: The report by the military looking that the mistakes that make the ambush Meyer was involved in four that "actions of key leaders at the battalion level were inadequate and ineffective."
Not surprising. NCO's earn their rank. It takes an Act of Congress to make a commissioned officer.
Considering the officer corps is responsible for policy making, they are directly responsible for the degradation of the NCO corps. Poor policy and leadership has severe consequences. The NCO corps can only do so much in the face of poor policy.
Spoken like an arrogant citizen who doesn't know jack
I've known plenty of great officers, NCOs, and soldiers
sounds like you're a malcontent
This is some of the worst grammar I've ever seen
Way to chronicle the heroic actions of a Marine with shit writing.
"After the investigation was complete, the three officers were given letters of reprimand, an action that, in the US military, almost always spells the end of an officer's career."
People do not realize this is actually a slap on the wrist. These officers will still make more money and receive better benefits than enlisted soldiers who have never done anything wrong. You can do many bad things as an officer and STILL remain an officer.
Most enlisted face Art15, loss of pay, rank, and even confinement. I think that is a real punishment compared to a stupid letter.
Maybe you have never seen the way officers treat each other. Trust me, a letter of reprimand is the kiss of de@th to a career.
Career ending or not it is a slap on the wrist. They are just transferred out of a command and fade away with NO monetary loss. While on the other hand enlisted will have a reduction in rank/pay, stay at the same command and try to make endsmeet. Big difference.
But they will still make more money and have more authority than an enlisted person who has done nothing more. That was my point.
Even with his/her career halted, they are farther up the totem pole.
Sounds like someone didn't have the personal motivation to earn a commission.
As a former prior-enlisted officer, I've seen both sides of the house, and can say with no small amount of conviction that the loudest voices complaining about "preferential treatment" of officers are generally those who have significant regrets about the road their careers have taken. The NCO corps of any service defines it's own character, independent of the officers. Have some pride in your stripes, and quit complaining about things you never had the stones to try and are now too old or too jaded to attempt.
Thank You. I couldn't agree more. I dont want to start some debate about the Enlisted Officer relationship, but would like to stress that NCO's and junior Marines haven't ever been the Platoon Commander, XO, or CO...if an NCO has a hard time regarding the Officer Corps, I invite him or her to put in the Officer package and go to OCS, TBS, MOS training, and make a difference.
It is a disgrace to have such a great story written so poorly and it appear on cnn.com. Pitiful!
Oh shut the heck up troll.
I is journeylast, you can beez two.
Why sully this fine young Marine's accomplishment by spending more time in the article talking about people who didn't do their jobs. Such an act of bravery needs no qualification, good or bad, to explain it. We should simply celebrate the fact that we have such young men and women who will risk all in service to their comrades in arms. Semper Fidelis, Sgt Meyer!
Sadly disappointed in the poor quality of this article. Especially due to the subject matter. We expect better!
Also says to: "READ the investigation report findings" which is edited/censored so much it's unreadable. Obviously the dolts involved in editing/writing this story didn't even check their recommendation either.
What a piece of shit. If an article is top-center on the main page of an international news organization, I expect it to be written by an adult. Was this run through a translator? Did a human being even write this?
It makes me wonder what other kind of garbage slips through the huge cracks at CNN, since there's obviously no oversight.
This is not to steal Sgt. Dakota Meyer thunder, but how come the other marine was not given such a medal too? He went right in there with him. And it is very disappointing that some reports did not even mention the ‘other’ marine’s name.
That is a very interesting question, I wonder why he was not awarded the same.
According to the Military Times:
Juan J. Rodriguez-Chavez
Place of Birth: Mexico
Was awarded the Navy Cross, the nations second highest medal. Why he wasn't awarded the Medal of Honor along side Sgt Meyers is beyond me.
The reason GySgt Chavez was not awarded the Medal of Honor was that he did not leave the vehicle; as Meyer did 5 separate times, each time bringing back wounded and dead with him. Chavez, if I recall correctly, provided covering fire from the vehicle.
Either way, each man did something heroic, that sadly, will be lost on most Americans.
"Instead of medals, those three unidentified officers." ????????????????? What about them? This is atrocious. This article has been up since 11:39 AM and has not been fixed!?!?!?!
"Pentagon Producer Larry Shaughnessy" appears to be functionally illiterate.
Don't forget about Pentagon Correspondent Barbara Starr. She contributed her illiteracy.
Larry Shaughnessy,
If this were a freshman high school essay, it would receive an 'F'. If 'CNN' has any editorial standards, they will clean it up or take it down.
too bad the reporter doesn't have english as his first language.
I will gladly edit your articles for cash CNN.
"Instead of medals, those three unidentified officers."
Really?
This article exemplifies what is happening to our country. CNN, a media giant; top notch network, where you would expect educated reporters/writers/journalists. But no, this is a sign of the (unfortunate) times, where even at CNN, people do not have a grasp of the English language, and cannot write a grammatically correct, or coherent, article. And apparently the higher-ups cannot detect one, either. Sad. Take a few English classes before writing and publishing these articles, CNN.
Actually he jumped in the Humvee with an ARMY officer to save the others and it was actually that officer who was calling for fire.
Thank you, John. Do you have more details that eluded CNN and other major media outlets? This happened two years ago. How long was Sgt. Meyer in Afghanistan?
Grammar, sentence structure are for crap. Was this written with their thumbs?
After that, did the editor even graduate High School?
It's a good story, and it needs to be told well.
Good grief, this article should spell the end of a journalist's career. I lost count of the glaring grammatical errors that force one to back up and re-read carefully to figure out what the sentence means.
I second that.
Please clean up the article. He deserves to have a clear report of his actions, not cut and pasted sentences.
Semper Fi.
Holy cow, who let this half-baked, typo-ridden piece of crap out the door?
Seriously. What the hell is this?
The first three paragraphs of this story each have a glaring editorial error in them. I've come to expect quality journalism from this website, but am disappointed in this instance. It is hard to make out exactly what happened in this story.
This story should have been edited prior to posting.
It is a typical CNN article. My children can write better than this.
Did anybody edit this article? It's unreadable
The hooman brane is an amazzing thing. It can mayke correckshuns which allow communikation to be effektive eevin wen things are spelld rong.
corectal abowt that