Now THIS is an interesting move!

The Satellite
1

Gang,

I noticed on LinkedIn that they just awarded Purple Hearts to individuals injured in the March 23, 2003 “fragging” attack on the 101st Airborne HQ in Kuwait. For those not familiar with this incident, it involved a US Army Sergeant who turned on his fellow troops at the start of the Iraq War and blew them up with grenades. Two were killed and several wounded.

He was later court martialed, sentenced to die, and is awaiting execution.

Ya know. The Purple Hearts being awarded to those wounded in the 101st AB Division attack in Kuwait in 2003 represent an interesting move. In the past, Purple Hearts were only given due to injuries received by enemy action. Query: does an insider attack such as that one count as “enemy” action? I know that “friendly fire” incidents often don’t result in Purple Hearts. But this is a bit different. Perhaps this is the “enemy” within. That said, I don’t remember hearing about Vietnam era “fragging” victims getting PHMs.

Whaddya think? @Dude and @Hasek, any thoughts?

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I remember that incident. Just thinking if they were wounded in action or in an attack, I am not sure if it should matter. At the point he started throwing grenades he became an enemy and not a friend.

That’s just my thoughts.

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Here’s the thing. A part of me wants to think that the “enemy within” is still an enemy, and should entitle to anyone injured or killed by their action to a PHM.

But, OTOH…what about all the Vietnam War “fragging” victims? I never heard about any of them getting awarded one.

I’ve noticed that a lot of people here object to “Whataboutism.” But why? Sometimes, it brings up IMPORTANT questions.

4

I think it is easy to differentiate this type of attack from both “fragging” and “friendly fire”. I’m not sure if Purple Hearts are appropriate, but I can understand the logic

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5

How is this not a “fragging” though?

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It is different in that the motivation is in line with the enemy as opposed to self interests of the “fraggers”

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I’ll amend one thing. Apparently it is possible to get a PHM for friendly fire injuries while in combat. I did a quick search and saw that Pat Tilman was awarded one.

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There was another incident like that in Iraq.

Killing of Phillip Esposito and Louis Allen - Wikipedia

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The military had to award him something. too much media hype surrounding Tillman.

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From a civilian perspective, I feel like it doesn’t really fit the spirit of what a Purple Heart is intended to recognize. I understand where they’re coming from, but something just doesn’t sit right about characterizing an Army sergeant as an “enemy” because he wigged out and killed fellow soldiers. At the same time, it isn’t really an “accident” either.

I’ve always associated a Purple Heart with combat. Deaths from training accidents and other incidents that take place outside of active combat don’t really fit into that perception.

But it also doesn’t feel right to try to argue against it.

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What’s so hard to understand? This p.o.s. was radicalized and online with isis. This did not happen overnight. And it is a gross error in our Armed Forces intelligence to not recognize he was. You betcha the ones that suffered deserve a purple heart recognition.

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Quote: This p.o.s. was radicalized and online with isis

Uhhhhh…ISIS didn’t exist at the time. They sprung up many years later.

Was he radicalized? Possibly. But not by ISIS. They weren’t really a thing until about 2013 or so. This was in 2003.

He may have simply been disgruntled or angry about either his situation, the war itself, his colleagues, his chain of command, etc. Not sure on all the details.

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isis or not it does not matter. isis is just a name. These radicalized muslims have been going after infidels (us) for decades. They re-name themselves every decade or so but they all have the same ideology. Exterminate Jews and kill as many infidels (us) as possible. In countries like Algeria America is considered the great satan and every night when the sun comes down they are chanting death to America. This is the stark reality that some ignore way too often.

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Please stay on topic here. Let’s discuss the Purple Heart qualifications.

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Im in line with this, the intent of the attack was to accomplish a military objective of the enemy regardless of how minimal it was

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Here’s the thing that some people don’t realize.

Merely being injured in combat isn’t enough for a PHM.

If you’re injured in a training mishap and certain other accidents, even if they occur during a war, during wartime operations, and within an area designated as a combat zone, you don’t get a PHM. See Max Cleland, for example. Lost both legs and an arm in Vietnam, but because he lost them in a training accident, and not as a result of enemy action, etc., he has no Purple Heart.

Usually, friendly fire isn’t enough. Most often, enemy action is required, although, as I have discovered, there are exceptions to that. See Pat Tilman.

The big question here is whether the “enemy within,” and his actions, constitute “enemy action.”

My AFPAK Hand cohort class colleagues Air Force LTC John Loftis and Air Force LTC Frank “Bruiser” Bryant were both killed in insider attacks (one literally while sitting at his desk in the “Green Zone” at the Ministry of the Interior in Kabul; so much for “safe” areas in that theater, and the idea that people serving in “desk” jobs in theater as opposed to being out on patrol are “safe”). But both of them were killed by local Afghans that the victims believed were their allies and that suddenly and unexpectedly turned on them. They got PHMs, but again, they were NOT killed by American forces.

Because these victims were killed by one of their fellow American Soldiers, that makes this situation different.

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It is on topic. Let’s see what we have.
A current soldier,
Islamist Radicalized
Arrmed forces do not recognize that he was…which in itself deserves the highest internal review
Kills soldiers that he considers the lowest scum of the earth.
You betcha all affected deserved a purple heart.
What I would like to know is how is it possible that this p.o.s. was not “detected” as such. That in itself is unbelievable.

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How could it be a question if the p.o.s. is radicalized? It does not matter if he is American, Portuguese or from Iceland.

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Was he “radicalized,”…or was he just PO’d at the war itself, his situation, his colleagues, and his chain of command?

Not entirely sure.

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Are you really asking this question?
Just don’t do that law. Don’t do that again.