via UTSanDiego.
Danielle Atwell, one of the widows of the two Yuma Marines killed in action with 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (Forward), was told this week the investigation is finished and she could be informed of the findings as early as Friday. Atwell and Donnella Raible, the other widow, both said they are frustrated at how long it took to investigate the Sept. 14, 2012 attack and that no one has been held accountable.A couple of things.
The promotion and third star of a former Camp Pendleton general is hanging on the outcome, as well as the careers of other senior military officials who were responsible for base security when insurgents infiltrated NATO's regional headquarters.
The investigation by U.S. Central Command focused on whether commanders were negligent because 15 heavily armed Taliban fighters were able to penetrate the base, in what was their most brazen attack of the war. Amid the drawdown of forces, security cutbacks had caused guard towers to be manned in some cases by nothing more than target dummies or poorly-trained Tongan troops who often napped on duty, several senior military sources told U-T San Diego.
* The wheels of justice turn slower the higher in rank you are. If you're a LT leading your men on patrol outside the wire and you make a mistake you'll be hung out to dry with the Commandant himself saying he wants you "crushed". If you're a General in command of base security and the enemy infiltrates your location, destroys a squadron of airplanes, the squadron commander and an NCO killed, and it'll take awhile for them to figure out what should be done. RHIP. Rank has its privileges.
* MAN UP! Don't slam the Brits. DO NOT ACCUSE the Tongans (funny how they're being blamed now). Unless its changed, Marine doctrine is to provide our own security even when operating with other forces (I've seen it cause heartburn with our Army brothers). What form that takes varies. It might be so simple as to insist that our personnel always carry a firearm...pistol, carbine or rifle...at all times. It might take the form of an interior guard. Whatever the case may be, its never the responsibility of another unit for Marine security.
* My heart goes out to LtCol Rable's wife AND the family of Sgt Atwell that lost their loved ones that day. My heart also goes out to those Marines that are killed and injured everyday but aren't involved in as high profile an incident.
If Marine Corps standards were applied to camp defense then this never would have happened. Active patrols outside the wire would have been ongoing. Observation posts inside and OUTSIDE the camp would have been manned and active. A buffer zone would have been established where any unidentified person/vehicle would be challenged.
That's the standard in a war zone. The general in charge of security did not meet that standard shouldn't be promoted and should be forced to retire (at the very least) for not meeting it.
Make no mistake about it. The powers that be are hiding behind CENTCOM but this is a Marine Corps issue, the standards that should be enforced are Marine Corps standards and any evaluation of events that doesn't take those standards into account to determine wrongdoing is a travesty of justice.
