January 2017 – as one of his final acts in office, President Obama yesterday commuted the 35-year prison sentence of Chelsea Manning down to just four years with a scheduled release date of 17 May 2017. For supporters, it must have been an unbelievable victory, and for her critics, an outrage. For those that have known her, there’s an added dimension of anecdotes, personal interactions, and concrete memories of her conduct, all of which color the quality of that commutation. She is a hero to some, a traitor to others. Either she was an idealistic do-gooder who was intent on revealing state-sponsored human rights violations while exposing the darkest corners of the U.S. Government, or she was a coward suffering delusions of grandeur who invented enemies to blame, lashed out at her own country, and revealed nothing but her own self-sponsored narcissism. Which one is accurate? Let me tell you a story.
In the Manning saga, the debate has always been over her state of mind leading up to and during the theft and dissemination of that classified information. There is no debate regarding the basic facts of what she did and what was done with her. During her 2009-2010 deployment to Iraq, she stole diplomatic cables, daily intelligence reports, and combat footage; she fed that information to the anti-secrecy website WikiLeaks, then separately admitted to as much to a grey-hat hacker named Adrian Lamo, who in-turn contacted U.S. Army Counterintelligence. She was convicted in 2013 on 17 original charges and four more amended charges, including violating the Espionage Act, for her role in illegally disclosing over 700,000 pages of classified documents. To date, Manning has been tried, convicted, imprisoned, and as of yesterday, scheduled for release.
As such, Manning has been a specter in the background of the Obama presidency and a central figure in national debates about everything from Iraq War policy, to the security practices of the Intelligence Community, to the weaponization of information, all the way to conversations about how the LGBTQ community is treated both in and outside the military. Likely few-to-none would have predicted such an unassuming person would be at the center of so much controversy. That is, unless you met her when she first joined the Army and she started down a trajectory toward infamy. In hindsight, maybe it was obvious.
Chelsea Manning and I enlisted in the U.S. Army during the Surge in the fall of 2007 and attended the same U.S. Army Basic Combat Training (BCT) at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. As new recruits, we were assigned to Charlie Company, 82d Chemical Battalion, 3d Chemical Brigade. Training began 12 OCT and for me, it ended 14 DEC. For Manning, however, graduation from Charlie Company never came. Her problems began the moment she arrived on station.
During Reception and Integration, Drill Sergeants conducted what is known as “the Shark Attack”: the company’s entire Drill Sergeant cadre descends on a busload of new recruits to welcome them to their home for the next nine weeks. It is intense and it is intentionally disorienting. If the recruit displays any emotion, non-verbal reaction, or any appearance of weakness, they will immediately receive the unrelenting attention of the Cadre. They probe for mental weakness and emotional triggers, assessing who will likely need the most shaping, molding, and mentoring. To ensure sufficient stress during this event, our Cadre’s Shark Attack was enabled by a simple instruction: hold your duffel bag in front of your face. Do not let it drop below your eyes.
Every recruit had the same packing list with the same items in that green duffel bag. They all weighed the same amount. Whether you were 6’4” or 5’4”, male or female, all recruits had to carry their own weight. Understand, that no one breezes through this exercise – everybody hurts, everyone drops their bag at least once, and everyone pays the price for it, including myself. During this exercise, Manning’s problem wasn’t that she was too small or not strong enough. The problem was, she quit. As the rest of the platoon faced one way, gritting their teeth and baring it, whispering words of encouragement to each other, she stood at an about-face the opposite direction, and said she simply could not pick up her own bag.
—–
After the first day, lights came on promptly at 04:20AM every morning, accompanied by the booming voice of a Drill Sergeant blasting through the intercom system, announcing the uniform of the day. By 04:30 we were expected to have bunks made, personal hygiene conducted (clean shaven, teeth brushed, pit stick applied, etc.), wall lockers secured, and already be outside, in formation, waiting for the Drill Sergeants to initiate Accountability Report and then Physical Training (PT).
No one could accomplish all of those tasks in ten minutes. Therefore as a matter of custom everyone woke up at 04:00AM and silently conducted their business in the dark. At 04:20 when the uniform of the day was put out, half the company would be conducting personal hygiene in the latrine area where the intercom system was too faint to hear. Everyone knew that if you heard the uniform of the day, you repeated it to everyone you saw – you shouted it out. It was a team effort to achieve uniformity, because if even one person was in the wrong uniform, then the entire group was at fault. Faulty uniforms meant poor communication; poor communication indicated a lack of discipline. Undisciplined Soldiers are like nails sticking up from a wooden board: they must be hammered down.
One morning at formation there was an audible rumble on the other side of the PT pad in Manning’s direction virtually as the Drill Sergeants were walking up and long after anyone should have even been whispering. What was going on? According to most, the general story went: Manning called out the uniform of the day, waited until her squad was dressed and had moved out to the morning formation, when she then put on the real, correct uniform of the day and ran to catch up. The commotion at the formation was her saying that she heard at the last minute what the real uniform was and it wasn’t her fault they were wrong; the rest of the team apparently was having none of it. In the Army, if everyone is wrong together, then they’re still right; uniformity is one of the highest virtues in our military. If one person is technically “right” but the rest of the team is uniformly wrong, then the technically “right” person is still wrong; everyone is still punished equally. By week two everybody knew that, lived it and lived with it. Everyone, except Manning.
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For the trainees of Charlie 82d, the sound of Chelsea Manning’s voice may forever elicit the two words so commonly overheard from her during her six weeks: “I can’t.” In our comparison of memories over the years, fellow recruits in C Co. have confirmed for me: when the going got tough, Chelsea said, “I can’t.” 
The first time I heard her say it, it was during Jerry Can training. A common physical exercise used by the Drill Sergeants during the first three weeks of training to correct a deficiency was aerobic and anaerobic work while holding a five-gallon Jerry Can of water. Pushups. Sit-ups. Overhead military presses and squats. Any exercise you could do with body weight, we did with 5-Gallon jugs of water. If a recruit thought no one would notice and emptied out their jug to lighten their load, then the Cadre would order another recruit to carry two jugs. Selfish acts which caused others to suffer were dealt with swiftly within the platoons.
A typical exercise sequence bear-hugging the Jerry Cans always started slowly, but rapidly escalated:
“Run in place. Now on your face. Now roll on your back. Stand up. Faster. Move like your hair is on fire, and the only way to put it out is go faster! “Run in place, on your face, on your back, Faster! “Runinplace,onyourface,onyourback. Faster!”
I remember Manning during one of these exercises, because she was struggling. We had to hold the Jerry Can over our heads, arms fully extended and locked at the elbows while we did squats, in cadence, counting from 1 to 10. If we made it to ten, the exercise was over. However, if a recruit got out of sequence and stood when s/he should have been squatting, we started over at 1. If a recruit dropped the can, we started over at 1. If we didn’t all count together, we started over at 1. Manning couldn’t hold the can and do the exercise, but the truth was, nobody could. The purpose never really was to get to 10. It was to inoculate you to stress and to teach you to never quit, no matter how much it hurt or how hopeless even the simplest group-task had become. When the Drill Sergeants finally reduced the goal to a 5 count, and then 3, and then to a 1-count held for just 10 seconds by everyone in unison, they let us stop. That is, everyone who had tried their hardest. A handful needed additional motivation and had to keep going. The Drill Sergeants, as intense yet consummate professionals, circled around Manning and matter-of-factly laid out the task, “get it over your head now!” It was the rest of the recruits in the group who saw this and told Manning, “C’mon, don’t quit. You’ve got this. C’mon Manning, you can do it.” And then, in that most Soldierly of acts, a handful said “Here, we’ll do it with you. We’ll do it together.” Her immediate battle buddies picked up their jugs and stood around her, doing more of the exercise, trying to coordinate with and motivate her. I remember watching with the rest of the group. She never made eye contact with any of them. There was no connection to the people trying to help her. Instead, I saw her face turned scarlet, sweat pouring off her face, grimacing. And through grit teeth, she moaned in agony, “I can’t,” and she dropped her Jerry Can.
—–
The sheer amount of physical work we did every day meant chow time was sacred. We had to march in lock step into the Dining Facility, secure our trays, keep head and eyes straight forward, elbows locked to the rear and backs straight. We had to keep communication with the kitchen serving staff short, crisp, and quiet, then move out to our tables. The Drill Sergeants waited for every chair at the table benches to have a recruit behind it, all still standing at attention, head and eyes straight forward, holding our trays exactly at chest level before they gave the commands:
set down—TRAYS
secure—–CHAIRS
take——-SEATS
“You have two minutes and forty-five seconds. Eat!”
We ate with spoons because forks and knifes took too long. We only picked food that didn’t require chewing anyway. We were entirely silent; no one would dream of talking at moments like that, and besides, we were all too hungry.
“Two minutes and fifteen seconds remaining,” the Drill Sergeants would call out across the building. We swallowed every mouthful with a swig of water so it would go down faster. We knew we’d be near throwing it up in less than 30 minutes, but for that – “one minute and fifteen seconds remaining –” that we still had food, we were happy to eat anything. Our meals were taken at only that Dining Facility, or in the field. Any food taken, consumed, or even found anywhere outside the Dining Facility was considered contraband and would be punished under Article 15 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Chow time was sacred.
At 10 seconds, the Drill Sergeant would start the countdown. God help you if you were still chewing when the count ran out.
“3. 2. 1. You’re done. You’re done! Spit it out! SPIT IT OUT. YOU ARE DONE WHEN I SAY YOU’RE DONE, DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME.” Everyone understood – Drill Sergeants are not to be messed with. Their rules are laws. You do not cross them, you do not question them, you do not deviate in any way from the norms and behaviors they established way back on day one. Everyone knows that. Except Manning.
After five weeks of this same lock-step script at the Dining Facility, rehearsed the exact same way three times a day, a commotion in the middle of the facility broke everyone away from their food. Manning was standing up, away from her seat, in the middle of an aisle. What the …
Red in the face, coughing and gasping and holding her throat with one hand, Manning gurgled out, “Drill Sergeant, I’m choking. I’m choking, Drill Sergeant. I can’t breathe, I can’t – ” when she reached out a hand, and physically placed that hand on the Drill Sergeant’s forearm.
The earth might as well have split open; a private made physical contact with a Drill Sergeant. Intentionally. In one ferocious movement and a grip of steel, the Drill Sergeant threw Manning’s hand from off his arm and barked,
“Private get your hand OFF ME or I will RIP your arms out of their sockets and I will beat you to DEATH with them. Now SIT DOWN and SHUT UP!”
Manning stopped choking instantly. She put her arms down at her sides, turned away and said, “Drill Sergeant, yes Drill Sergeant, it won’t happen again.” She sat back down, and finished eating.
—–
The last time I saw Manning in person, it was in the Field during a training exercise. I remember that exercise because nearby there was a hold-over recruit from a previous BCT class who had failed his final Army Physical Fitness Test and was always around. He never quite trained with us, but he was always in the field with us wherever we went. He thought he knew the answer to everything, and he thought he was somehow in charge because he had been in the Army nine weeks longer than the rest of us. But what stood out the most about him was that he always had candy. Candy was like food, only worse. It was not allowed to be purchased or kept, consumed – it could not even be mailed in a care package unless there was enough for every member of the platoon to have some (I’ll never forget when Private Platt’s mother sent 42 Butterfinger candy bars in the mail just so her son could have one). Still, everyone knew that the holdover somehow had contraband packages of Snickers Bars and M&Ms all the time. During my basic training cycle, he came under investigation for allegedly offering to exchange packages of candy for sexual favors from the female recruits. His days were numbered, and everybody knew to steer clear of him. That is, everyone but …
At the end of the field exercise, that holdover was walking up to groups of us, offering to sell us candy for $20 a package. We all knew to keep our distance from him – he was untrustworthy, he was in trouble, and he was only going to get you in trouble too if you associated with him. And yet, Chelsea Manning bought a package of M&Ms from him for $20. I remember that scene, because Manning was not quiet about it. She was practically bragging out loud that she had contraband candy. At six weeks into basic training, it just wasn’t worth it, and yet that scene has stayed with me all these years, because for Manning, it somehow was worth it. Maybe by then, she thought she had nothing else to lose.
That was the last time I saw Chelsea Manning in person, in Basic Combat Training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. Last anyone in the Company knew, she had been sent to a Discharge Unit out of our Company Area and was going to be separated for “Failure to Adapt.” I graduated in December and moved on to Advanced Individual Training (AIT) for Mandarin Chinese in California. In 2013, I met a Senior, fellow Chinese Linguist at language training class at Fort Bragg, NC who told me he had known Manning in 2008 while they were both at Fort Huachuca, AZ for training. In that same Chinese language class, I spoke to a second Senior Linguist who told me he had met Manning in 2009 in Iraq as he was rotating out of the country, and Manning’s unit was rotating in. I don’t know what it means that you can trace half of Manning’s career in the Army based on which Chinese Linguist was closest to her at the time, but I do know that she’s in the background of nearly every career of every U.S. Army intelligence analyst active in the last decade. Her actions changed fundamental practices in the DoD. Manning altered not only the way we think about information security, authentication and confidentiality, but also about the grave damage posed by the insider threat. Civilians lives may not have been radically affected, but for those in the community, there was Before Manning and there is Since Manning.
—–
The final point which need be made is not about whether the punishment fit the crime, about whether Chelsea Manning’s actions were justified, or whether the leaks endangered lives or saved civil liberties. Those are important, heady issues, but they’ve also been rehearsed and rehashed, debated, plotted, and picketed many times-over since 2010. Instead, the final point which need be made is about the environment in which Chelsea Manning grew up in the military. Its relevant that someone finally speak on the composition of Basic Training classes, Charlie 82d itself and more generally, the Army at large. That characterization is relevant for understanding Manning’s state of mind leading up to and during the theft and leaking of classified national intelligence, and in-turn helps to interpret Manning’s legacy.
Charlie 82d was a non-infantry, Basic Combat Training class composed much the same as all BCT classes, and the same way the Army as a whole is composed: by everybody, and every body-type; every ethnic background, religion, personality, and yes every sexual orientation all filling the ranks. Those variables were distributed across a bell curve of aptitudes, education levels, socio-economic status’ and geographic hometowns. In 2007, the U.S. Army was habitually failing to meet its monthly recruiting goals; the application standards relaxed and a great cross-section of humanity ended up reporting for duty that warm October at Fort Leonard Wood. In the company, there was a 17-year-old who had enlisted with a waiver, and there was: a 42-year-old mother of three who was terrified of needles; a new grandmother to a brand-new infant granddaughter; and a former coffee distributor in South America in his mid-thirties who everyone still called “Grandpa.” One recruit ironically named “Goesforth” went AWOL within 48 hours of arrival, deserted the military, and was never seen again. One recruit in fourth platoon had been homeless before he joined, and another had blown his entire first university semester’s tuition on OxyContin before he dropped out and enlisted. One recruit was a Mexican citizen who was willing to go to Iraq and fight for the United States in exchange for expedited citizenship. Another was a female with dual German/American citizenship who was so short, the German Army wouldn’t take her, so she joined up with the Americans instead. Charlie 82d had dads in their mid-thirties, and it had dads not yet old enough to buy beer. My platoon had a single mom who had been working as an exotic dancer before she raised her right hand and took the oath; another had married young, got divorced and wanted to get as far away from her Ex as possible; she figured the Middle East was probably far enough, but if he tried to find her there, he’d probably just get blown up by an IED – problem solved. Like the Army itself, the Basic Combat Training company into which Chelsea Manning entered had on-hand and present for duty the living, breathing testimonies of virtually every story within the American experience.
Its relevant that Supporters and Critics know the character of Charlie 82d, because meanwhile Chelsea Manning’s defense team and her supporters drew upon a very different picture of life in the military in order to recast the narrative and bolster her defense. Their case for leniency began with establishing sympathy for someone who was purportedly picked on, harassed, and bullied throughout her service in the Military. In a 2011 video produced by the Guardian in which reporters interviewed friends of Manning, a fellow Soldier in the discharge unit with her at Fort Leonard Wood said:
“He was a runt. And by military standards and compared with everyone who was around there – he was a runt. By military standards, “he’s a runt so pick on him”, or “he’s crazy – pick on him”, or “he’s a faggot – pick on him.” The guy took it from every side. He couldn’t please anyone. And he tried. He really did.”
This is where we need to set the record straight, because if you buy the premise that Manning had a heart of gold but was perpetually picked on by bullies anyway, then it’s a foregone conclusion that she had to finally fightback when the time came to face the biggest bully of them all; that when she saw documentation of civil liberties and human rights abuses by an unaccountable government that was terrorizing people who couldn’t fight back, she recognized herself in those victims, and ultimately had no conscionable choice but to expose those documents for the greater good of the meek everywhere.
What holes exist in that premise? These are the facts: Chelsea Manning was timid and small, but she certainly wasn’t the only one. There were dozens of recruits – male and female – in the last cycle of Charlie 82d that autumn who were under 5’4” and couldn’t have weighed more than 140lbs. Some were physically uncoordinated and seemingly had never spent a day outdoors in their entire lives. Others were natural athletes with a killer instinct that always seemed to put them on top, no matter what the challenge. Some had nothing to prove, and some had everything to prove. It wasn’t size, or stature, or speed, or strength, or even the ability to finish all the events that decided how high a recruit could hold her head in the community. That is a fact.
What is not accurate is the false and felonious image of the U.S. military on which the defense of her conduct has been, at its root, predicated: that somehow everyone in her formative years in the military was practically part of a tribe of 6’2”, overly-aggressive Alpha males pumping testosterone out their pores who ganged up on the smallest in the group and tore her apart out of hyper-machismo intolerance; that War is so brutish and nasty, that Warriors too must be. That is simply not accurate. Chelsea Manning wasn’t being picked on at the Shark Attack when the Drill Sergeants said she had to lift her own bag like everyone else, and she said she couldn’t. She wasn’t being picked on when those Soldiers tried to help motivate her to lift the Jerry Can over her head and even picked up their own and did the exercise again, with her, out of solidarity. And when she faked a choking fit in the middle of the Dining Facility, it wasn’t because someone else was tormenting her – she was tormenting herself.
Chelsea Manning was not picked on or harassed because of her gender or identity; she was not bullied because she was small or appeared easily overpowered or dominated. No, Chelsea Manning was ostracized. Because some unknown in her character prevented her from ever truly entering into that covenant of self-sacrifice upon which collective group defense depends, she could not ever satisfactorily contribute to the welfare of the group. In a social schema where the defense of the group becomes the perpetual rationale for why the group should even continue existing, Chelsea Manning either could not or would not sacrifice enough of herself to inspire loyalty among comrades. Soldiers usually adopt these values in reaction to physical and emotional stressors, to the demands of group accountability, and to their dependency on the group for survival. For that reason, by the end of Basic Combat Training most grudges have been put aside, and any rivalries have abated; this happens exactly because Soldiers have by then learned those lessons in loyalty and self-sacrifice. Everybody learns those lessons.
Everybody except …
Excellent article — and to blazes with all the people who can’t get over the pronoun thing.
I entered the Canadian Forces Recruit School at Cornwallis, Nova Scotia, in 1974 and remember every woman in my platoon clearly, even now. We had stars and losers, like any random sample of humanity. Unlike your platoon, however, mine was ruthlessly culled by the training cadre, and by the fifth week of the 11-week program we were down to half our original number. People were released for all kinds of reasons, from the girl who wouldn’t stop crying (gone on Day Two) to the one who somehow could never wear the correct socks for PT.
Pte Manning was never cut out for soldiering, and this fact was as plain as a pikestaff from the moment she got off the bus. One wonders what the recruiters were thinking — the manpower demands of the Surge notwithstanding. So why was she not released within the first two weeks? The Dress of the Day stunt alone would have been a ticket back to Civvy Street from Cornwallis.
I feel sad for all of you in that platoon, including Manning.
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“…the truth will set you free…” John 8:32
Thank you Mr. / Ms. / Who Gives a Shit About the Pronoun Manning for outing the war mongers for what and who they are.
Don’t be such a pussy, pussy. You a damn pussy.
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Appreciate your insight and well written piece. Gender has nothing to do with “I can” or “I can’t.” Using “she” as others have noted is respectful of the transgender community. I don’t know that Chelsea deserves the respect but the community does.
I wish she had gotten kicked out of the service before she had a chance to do this harm. Many family members as well as my own husband and brother have served, and I thank you for defending our country!
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Very interesting info. I do respect “her” for leaking the collateral murder video, and quite honestly every war the US military has been engaged in for the past 50-ish years since Vietnam has been illegal and started under false pretext like 9/11, and Gulf of Tonkin incident
I can’t fault the military for that. We need to have a strong military that follows orders, but at some point (like killing a bunch of unarmed journalists who clearly had a camera, not an RPG) people need to refuse to carry out illegal orders and if proper channels fail, expose the information to the publlic. Operational security be damed if the operation is wrong. I hate to see you people sacrifice your lives for the New World Order.
Also you thould use xer correct pronouns. They prefer “thir.” Kidding. I seriously I can not get used to the idea of calling a man “she.” It’s stupid and its a lie. Chelsea Manning is a man.
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Fuck off.
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Mr Huwieler;
I cringed at every “she” but clearly you needed to write so to inoculate your excellent article from the willed blind spots from Certain Social Quarters. (Also, I don’t obsess about gender dysphoria.) The Army clearly did its level best to offer Manning the same opportunity as anyone else; nor was it powered by “toxic masculinity.” Its failure to take the giant hints and lance this boil privately (heh) are regrettable.
I only hope that FedGov is releasing Manning early to avoid, under the insane rules of prison in the US, forcing the Army to provide Bradley with SRS.
Thank you.
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I appreciated Mr. Huwieler’s article and the perspective he brought that helped provide context to Manning’s actions. With that said, I too take exception to normalizing gender dysphoria by yielding to those affected who erroneously self-identify. Doing so is an irrational form of enabling deviance and abnormal behavior, and creates further divides in a society that has become neurotically obsessive in ‘identity politics.’ Most of the contrarian commentators are correct in their assertions that gender IS biologically determined, either XX or XY and by one’s genitalia. If, for whatever reason, I decide or come to believe that I am a serial hermaphroditic Minotaur doesn’t make it so, and those around me ought NOT enable me by accommodating this delusion.
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Good grief, sounds like she should have been RTM’ed (Returned to Mommy) in the first week!
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SGT Huwieler,
That is some article you’ve just written there! I really enjoyed reading it. I particularly cared for your subtleness while still being able to point out who Manning really was back in basic training. I was in Iraq when this happened and I remember that day very clearly. Hell, my last name is Mannings, so you can imagine what my co-workers’ joke or question of the day was – for quite a few days! It was not fun. I had never known this kid or even had a remote idea where she was, but she definitely made a name for herself.
I don’t blamer her. She is just a weak kid who showed the signs, repeatedly, that she was not fit for military service. That’s the price that we have to pay when we lower the standards because we need soldiers. We are not the first ones to do this. Can you imagine the type of people that the Red Army was recruiting right after the Germans invaded – Operation Barbarosa, June 1941? They virtually recruited everyone who could physically walk and squeeze a trigger. They just needed numbers to throw at the German bullets. Hey, it actually worked! But, how many of those recruits deflected to the German lines, gave up without a fight, and then gave up Russian positions? It was many of them and it cost lives.
She should have never made it out of basic and into a unit. She should have been discharged as soon as she showed signs that she was easily defeated. But, that’s in the past. I am not going to judge her. There is a system designed for that purpose and this time, I am not part of it. I will trust that the system has worked and, if her sentence has been commuted, then it must be for a reason of which I am not aware.
I wanted to thank you for sharing this story. I admire your writing style.
Keep up the good work!
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Thank you for doing what the media should be doing themselves.
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“The story goes…” basing an article on rumor and innuendo? Claiming everyone knew her? and knew her to be a total fuckup? Over my 20 years serving, I knew some total fuckups including one who sent themselves to Courts Marshal in a spectacular fuckup. Fuckups are a dime a dozen and they typically don’t make it to deployment or are allowed to deal with anything more important than a mop and a bucket of plain water and even then you worry they’ll drown themselves. In my bootcamp, we had 3 fuckups; the narcoleptic, the pyromaniac and the kleptomaniac none of whom graduated boot. In A and B schools we still had some fuckups; the partier who ended up with a TBI, an illiterate who did not think ‘inflammable’ would catch fire, and the tinkerer who actually thought you could get a Radar Magnetron to reheat a burrito. Each step of the way, it was a really messed up Willy Wonka experience where the inept, unintelligent and the just plain old unlucky were weeded out. If Manning were such a fuckup as this story reads, they would have self selected themselves for discharge with ease. Rumor Control says… Sea Stories are more stories than documentaries.
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There’s a lot of similarity in the author’s story about Basic Combat Training (BCT) at Fort Leonard Wood and my experience 7-8 years earlier. So yes, I think he mentions some of the questions I ‘d asked to know if someone had really been there. Prove it, as they say. But The stories about the few privates who just gave up. All the time. Who could never really show the courage to be part of a team (albeit a hostile one as I experienced on occasion) and fight for whatever crazy task or basic principle.
From what I read about Manning’s conduct after BCT, it’s mostly the same pattern of behavior he had in other places. As an older person to begin with, and someone who became an NCO I knew we always had problem Soldiers. Yes, we had people who didn’t graduate boot; maybe Manning should have been released for failure to adapt.In AIT I didn’t, even then, mostly object to the weirdos in Advanced Individual Training, and watching and mentoring them as new Soldiers in a unit–as long as they tried–to make and stand by decisions that might be difficult or to maintain standards under challenging conditions. I was never interested in cultural conformity in my unit based my personal mores; just an acknowledgement from everyone that we we all had to agree on fundamentals about protecting information, understanding our little role in the bigger picture, and basic Army Values.
But I feel for you, I really do–I had to explain to one PVT how to brush his teeth. I don’t think PVT was entirely stupid–I think he had parents or people raising him who couldn’t or didn’t manage to teach him that much. I thought it was a miracle he wasn’t put in a group home for the mentally disabled. BCT was culture shock for me. And the thieves in BCT ot AIT. Oh, Lordy. That kid basically did okay, but I am so grateful that a senior NCO asked me if I wanted to take another Soldier, a true FU, on the Deployment. No. And thankfully he asked and made recommendations.
Weeding people out? Yes, there is the broader narrative that Manning’s treason came about because many units or individuals failed him and the mission by not moving her out of military service sooner or not doing their jobs. I recommend people look at the Wikipedia piece about her and read carefully the articles that are cited. But I still do not excuse Manning’s behavior.
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How did I know this, the character of her service, before even reading this. And now, she’s free to profit from her pathetic behavior.
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re: G Ard
Served with enuf genuine f’ups to know that truth can be stranger than fiction. Maybe it’s bullshit, then again there was Senior Petty Officer (rate anonymized) Mc_auley, who cried like a baby when cornered, the Admiral’s lesbian grandaughter caught in flagrante delicto, the chicken_ucking CPO, the SN who stowed away his Japanese girlfriend, etc., etc..
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So clearly unsuitable. The Army is an accomplice because some pension grubber did not have the balls to board him OUT as unsuitable.
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Reblogged this on Six Sigma Game and commented:
Incredibly revealing.
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Outstanding article! Very well written. Jay, thank you so much for this very interesting and informative “intelligence”. Obama lowered himself when he commuted “its” sentence. Can you imagine what “it” would have done if “it” was among a group of veterans in an enemy POW Camp? “It” would sell “its” soul to receive a moment of favored treatment. Too bad “it” wasn’t successful in taking “its” life. The world would have been a better place. God will judge “it”.
Tom Rutherford, Sr (former Marine Drill Instructor; Parris Island)
Captain “mustang” U.S. Marine Corps (Ret)
Director, Special Security, Space & Defense (Ret)
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I attended Marine Corps recruit training during the summer of 1991 at Parris Island, S.C. I still remember the names and faces of the recruits who were always screwing up. We as a platoon paid for their “crimes”. The Drill Instructors would often have the offending recruit stand to the side and watch as they unleashed their wrath upon us. You are only as strong as your weakest link. Manning should have been given the option “window or aisle” on his/her return ticket to home instead of being pushed through training. Great article and should be released to the mainstream media.
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A great article, and thanks for telling your story. This person should have never graduated from BCT. S/he was never a true soldier. If you read “Making the Corps” by Thomas Ricks, you’ll read that the Marine Corps has a term by which it discharges from basic training those who cannot commit to the requirements of becoming a Marine…”failure to adapt,” which means that the recruit in question is unwilling or unable to conform to the requirements of selflessness needed to become a Marine. I’m sure the Army has a similar criteria, which was clearly not prescribed in the case of Manning. The question I always asked about Manning was how the hell he/she became a soldier. How the hell was he/she granted a security clearance? How the hell was he/she given the opportunity to gain access to the information he/she eventually leaked? Where the HELL was Army LEADERSHIP during this absurd debacle? Was anyone above the grade of E-4 ever held to account for this entirely predictable cluster f**k? I expect not. To me, the entire Bradley/Chelsea Manning episode was a tragedy, which belies the fact that it was entirely predictable. This person was very clearly unsuited for the position in which he/she was placed. To make a long story short, this person was unable to adapt from the get-go. That’s why, at least in my mind, mercy was/is in order. I am proud that the current Commander in Chief (at least for the next 12 hours, anyway) had the wisdom and decency to see that.
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Great article. Your description is to me what is typical of a homosexual, everything is about them and their own comfort. Manning did what he did not out of some misplaced sense of duty but anger over the restrictions on his kind in the military; that trumped service and his oath. If they are allowed to continue in service we can expect to see much more of this. I understand that you try very hard to be respectful to all and might not appreciate this comment, but this is how I see it.
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I actually went to read this and blast it all up and down but it was actually a great story of your basic training experience. Although some of the things were a little off with details on the trial and how who was reported to and what not, no ding because only a few of us really know majority of the truth anyway. That was pretty accurate from my point of view as well. Manning couldn’t adapt, and had loyalty issues from the beginning. Although I disagree with Manning being released mainly due to my patriotism beliefs and the fact that most other charges like assault were disregarded during the trial. I am happy that we don’t have to foot the bill for Manning any more, we have paid and sacrificed way too much money and time on someone that shouldn’t of been there in the first place.
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In BCT we had “Mouse”… on a road march, about 1000 yards form the barracks, she laid down in the middle of the road and told the Drills that she couldn’t go any further. I, personally sucked at PT, but this girl was worse than I was. I could at least handle the push ups and sit ups. Mouse’s wall locker melted air fresheners and we hid her during the Colonel’s inspection. She was the recipient of “platoon bath”…
So yeah… BTDT….
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This is what happens when quantity is more valued than quality.
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My head was racing as I read the story and comments of what I was going to say. However, almost everyone said it better then I ever could; except, the DI’s have comments sections for each recruit, how this shithead was not on the plane outbound was/is a sad and costly.
All NOC’s and officers in the line of his care should be help accountable.
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I have two main thoughts: First, I’m confounded by the many comments that nit-picks the author’s use of she/her to describe Manning when the article seemed to be written to express further insight into Manning and his/her actions.
[Manning’s actions are an affront to women, especially to those who have and are serving, as well as to the LGBQ community. -Manning poorly represents both groups.]
Secondly, I’m glad the author is sharing this perspective of Manning to decrease the public perception of Manning’s victimization.
On a side note, Manning and I had briefly been in the same unit together (He was just arriving while I was ETS-ing); the author’s description of Manning’s demeanor, attitude, and personality is quite correct. -Unpleasant, difficult, and stand-offish to everyone around him.
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Really glad I found this. In fact, I suggest you take it down quick, and submit instead to NYTimes and the SF Chron. Outstanding insight. Thanks.
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It seems awefully convenient that Brad became Chelsea after he was convicted of the crimes. If he would have just entered the military as a female in the beginning he still would have been treated the same. Sounds to me that when he entered and couldn’t complete the tasks with everyone else he should have quit then. When you mention that he told everyone the wrong uniform and he wore the correct one that right there should have alerted the ones in charge he couldn’t be trusted. He doesn’t deserve this pardon that Obama gave him.
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Bradley Manning is a MAN with deep psychological problems, and anyone referring to HIM as a she has serious issues with reality.
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Very well written, and very enlightening as to the character of this person, at least during her stint in basic. Reminded me of one of my fellow recruits when I went through in ’03.
Also, I know Ma Taitai is gone, but is Chen Laoshi still kicking around there at The Presidio? That man taught me more Chinese than all the other teachers combined, though not necessarily the most useful or appropriate selections of the language. (I distinctly remember him asking one of my classmates, when she stated that she was hungry, “你要吃我的香蕉?” He had just taught myself and a buddy the colloquial connotations of that, though she just thought of it as a friendly offering of a banana. Good times.)
Anyway, that’s all beside the point. Thank you for sharing insight into who Manning was, during your experience with her. Helps to shed some light on the whole issue. Though, of course, it is important to note that people do change. Not saying she did or didn’t, as that’s nowhere near my place to state, but just that it’s a fact of life. Still, interesting to know what she was like in basic.
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I joined my own country’s army reserve at 28, 6 years after breaking my neck, shattering my face and right upper arm in a horrific car accident, and made it through with gritted teeth.
85 commenced training, 64 finished, I came second, mostly due to lack of fitness.
My 17 year old bunkmate powered his way through training, but had never ironed his clothes before, because his mother did it for him.
I ironed all of his clothes and taught him how to get his creases exact, and how to make a bed with military corners.
We were a team, and we were not going to fail – Chelsea Manning deserved the punishment dealt out, and should never be released. Wonder how many people died or were injured due to the information that was leaked.
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Very well written and enlightening piece, thanks for writing it. I am glad to have served my country, I am glad to have been an ARMY ENGINEER. Its not for everyone and they should not lower the standards to accommodate any one not willing to endure the pain to reach the prize. Some of my fondest memories are from back in my military days though at the time I didn’t realize that they would be. Every class has those ones that should not be allowed to continue but when you lower the standards to accomodate or meet a quota your not helping anyone; your hurting everyone in the long run. What he did ( no disrespect to the Transgender Community I just believe you are what you were born as and thats that ), could have been done a different way and he would not be in the situation that he found himself in. Everything done in the dark comes to light eventually, I truly believe that.
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Great article. An accurate depiction of the human condition in a basic training company. As a former linguistic who graduated from BCT at Fort Leonard Wood, I was gratified to see the culture of the platoon depicted accurately and even encouraged that, despite the hype, it doesn’t seem as though BCT has gotten softer, it actually sounds at least as tough as it was in the 80’s. Unfortunately, it doesn’t sound like they weed people out of the Army like they used to, On Manning, it is important for the public to understand that many mistakes were likely made here. Allowing Manning to graduate training, allowing Manning to have a security clearance, and then to handle sensitive information, despite Manning’s demonstrated flaws. But the blame should and does fall squarely on Manning for the choices she made, which were patently unlawful.
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Excellent background on the bradley/chelsea manning debacle. Oftentimes it is the supposed victim who has, in fact, singled themselves out, blaming everything and everyone but themselves for their crimes and their plight. Not enough of this I’m-a-victim-woe-is-me stuff has been disciplined out of our toddlers. Now we have a nation plagued with ‘adult’ me-me-me victims, full of envy and looking for their participation trophy for doing nothing and helping no one. When these over-entitled jealous snowflakes meet the real world that demands performance, productivity, and accountability… they pout and cry to whoever will listen, they steal and take whatever they can to right their perceived injustices… and they drag us down and endanger the rest of us with cutthroat antics, create lies that get others into trouble and distract attention away, and commit outright crimes against their fellow humans–all this destruction just to protect their own psyche from the truth of who they are(n’t). They don’t like what they see in the mirror, so they break the mirror and don’t want the rest of us to have mirrors. The military used to weed these people out… but politically correct politicians have discouraged that, putting us all in danger.
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A good read. Had you been in the Army in the 70s, Mr. Huwieler, you would likely have been in the ASA, so I recognize you as a intel brother. That being said, I’m sure you see that Manning should never have made it beyond a recruiting station. Whatever his* GT score was, he was not cut out for the MI Corp. Also, I am guessing that MI still vets its members after a substantial background investigation and, after being cleared, still has members sign a very serious non-disclosure agreement. No matter what his personal beliefs, Manning was under a contract of silence. He willingly broke that contract. Thus, he should be grateful that he only got a long prison sentence, and not worse.
*
“His” and “he” are used here, rather than she and her. Manning’s DNA is male, and always will be. Of course, it also shows a substantial amount of the “I’m a crybaby pussy” genetic material.
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Fine, she was total looser and hopeless fuck-up. So riddle me this, how in blue-blazes did this person get to handle classified information in the first place? No way the military comes out of this clean. The system should have been flashing red from day one. And BTW despite Manning sending a picture of herself in freaking wig to her C.O. even that did not raise eye-brow one.
So please, don’t give me any crap about about her not being a team player when the team is as screwed up as this. The Military and the government is every bit as culpable, perhaps more so for this cluster-fuck as her. This is what happens when the modus operandi is to toss any available warm, breathing body you have in the general direction of the mission and hope for the best. The possibility that one of those bodies is a miserable fit for the need rises to level of excellent.
It does not take a genius to figure out that very young adult dealing with issues of gender dysphoria might have some issues of confidence, or with being a team player, or with pressure situations. They already have a lot on their plate and tossing them in the pressure-cooker situation of boot camp, where the goal is to seriously fuck with the rickey’s head is not helping their underlying mental confusion and stress.
While the goal of the DI may be to mold the Ricky into a self-sacrificing, service-oriented team member of the US Army, such shaping by the DI’s may not be seen that way by someone suffering with gender dysphoria. To that person, it may just seen as plain old hazing and harassment. Quite frankly, the DI are bringing the wrong tools to the job. They are not going to reach this particular Ricky with this training regime, not now, not ever. What we have here is Einstein’s’ definition of insanity– doing the same thing over and over again but expecting different results.
And since results are up for discussion, nothing written by the author really changes the underlying systemic failure revealed by Manning. Whatever one thinks of her one thing is crystal clear, this person should never have been admitted into military in the first place. Her mental space, her youth, the total package was a soup sandwich. Giving her access to classified information was like handing a five year old a chain saw and then hoping for the best while grabbing a beer. Some people are just not cut out for the military, she was one of them.
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“Giving her access to classified information was like handing a five year old a chain saw and then hoping for the best while grabbing a beer.”
THIS. the focus on Manning distracts from this real issue that should be discussed and debated. what kind of military are we funding if certain simple protocols that are there for a very good reason are not being followed? where does the responsibility for this failure ultimately lie? Patraeus? JCOS? COC? Pentagon bureaucracy? the overall culture of the modern military itself? heads should have rolled up & down chain of command but were not…why?
as to Manning, it appears that this person’s objective was/is to seek attention above and beyond everyone else and at the expense of anyone and everyone else. i’m not a psychologist, but that seems like the textbook definition of a narcissist. the only response that i have found that has been successful for those kinds of people is simple … ignore them completely.
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Reblogged this on securelosangeles and commented:
A good read….
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as a Veteran, and as a trans woman, i can appreciate the correct use of pronouns. it may not matter to a LOT of people. but it means the world to us. thank you.
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An excellent reflection not only of Manning, but also on how we train our soldiers. I hope this gets a wide audience.
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Hey Huwie! Kick-ass article!
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Jay, I already read your post, and could know a lot more about Manning’s affairs. Can I translateit to spanish and publish it with proper accreditation preapproval by you?
Thanks and regars.
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Manning’s BCT saga is eerily similar to a senior ROTC cadet I once knew. I commanded the Army ROTC battalion at a large, prestigious Southeastern university a decade ago. I inherited a female cadet who was dismissed from our university’s Air Force program for unfitness and behavior challenges. Her father (a retired officer) knew our brigade commander and they decided to enroll her into the Army program. This cadet performed poorly most of the time, yet excelled in physical training (except running). Failures during critical assessments added up over time, as did lapses in moral judgment and a series of negative behavior incidents, including alleged criminality. Far less concerned with my commission mission than the dangers inherent in commissioning an unfit lieutenant, I initiated disenrollment proceedings against the cadet. The next eight months were a nightmare for me and our program as the brigade commander blocked my actions, delaying the inevitable and deliberately lowering my subordinate instructors’ evaluations as payback. These were excellent officers and NCOs whose only transgressions were the fair and honest assessments of a dysfunctional officer trainee who should never have been contracted into the Army ROTC program with the more difficult program of instruction. When the brigade commander retired, his successor immediately launched an investigation that exonerated our instructors and recommended dismissal of the problem cadet, along with full recoupment of all educational expenses. Her disenrollment occurred after I changed command and transferred to eliminate the potential for crying retribution, yet by that time she voluntarily withdrew from college. Every instructor involved survived the saga and continued to serve with distinction; having served three decades in uniform I retired after my next assignment. The former cadet had a rough go for a while, yet in time found herself and got straightened out. The lesson learned is the same as that of Manning: Screening for fitness and sending the unfit home are necessary tools if we are to man capable military forces. And it’s impossible to escape the reality of the normal distribution.
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“The lesson learned is the same as that of Manning: Screening for fitness and sending the unfit home are necessary tools if we are to man capable military forces.”
As is the necessity to stand up for the code of conduct, despite the pressure placed upon oneself by superior officers who reject the code for personal gain. Another moral of the story and one that the current SOD should focus on.
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The author interprets it, at least implicitly, as selfishness. Rather, it seems to me at least in part, Manning had learned long before enlistment that if people truly knew her, they would not support her. And so she lacked the connection with peers that gave the extra encouragement and from that ability one needs under stress.
That is not saying she’s not at fault. But the fault is fear and the bad judgement to enter an environment where that fear was crippling.
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Can I simply say what a relief to uncover someone that truly understands
what they are talking about online. You definitely realize how to bring an issue to light and make it important.
More people really need to check this out and understand this
side of your story. I can’t believe you aren’t more popular since you definitely have the gift.
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Thank you for this piece about Chelsea Manning and the US Army’s BCT. I was an intel analyst, too. When I read her defense about being a sensitive soul surrounded by hyper-macho A-type personalities, I knew from personal experience it was BS. I also knew it would resonate with people not familiar with the military. Her unit in Iraq failed by keeping her in her position. She should have had her clearance suspended pending an investigation after some of her antics. They should have kept her out of the SCIF and had her handing out mattresses at the welcome center if they were that desperate for personnel. I could on about it, but there’s enough info available on the Internet for people to read and judge for themselves. Again, thank you for your post and thank you for your service.
Also, I’d like to add something personal about the emotional turmoil she felt as a transgender person and how it affected her decision to disclose classified info. No Excuse. No Excuse. I was old when I joined the military. Folks our age were called ma or pa by the younger recruits and even by the Drill Sergeants. During the days of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, Don’t Pursue, over the years I served with people were not heterosexual like myself. They didn’t tell and I didn’t ask but they were good and loyal Soldiers just like everyone else. If they weren’t good Soldiers, it was a matter of other, deeper individual factors or poor training; but not sexuality. As an older person I knew how challenging it was to be young and under stress just growing up. It’s difficult. And back in my era, when people couldn’t come out of the closet publicly, I felt even more for them. But I never, never had any reason to question their loyalty to the United States, the US military, and their teammates. They cared, but Chelsea from the get-go did not. That’s solely on her.
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That right there is hazing not tradition
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Not at all surprising that PV1 Manning was in possession of such weak character.
But I have to quibble one aspect of your story. You don’t know “Chelsea”, because “she” didn’t exist until a few years ago. You knew, and attended BCT with a closeted gay man named Brad Manning.
This Chelsea person is an artificial construct of Brad Manning.
Just like Bruce Jenner, not “Kaitlyn” won a gold medal at the 76 Olympics. Kaitlyn didn’t exist until a few years ago.
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This is excellently written! From the perspective of a civilian, I can say you’ve given beautiful insight into what is necessary to make a military unit function well. May God bless your efforts to enhance communication in behalf of all of us. Thank you!
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This was outstanding. Which explains why not a single mainstream media outlet will ever, ever acknowledge it.
Well written, sir. Thank you.
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Manning is a wimp- in both genders. I raised three daughters; “I can’t” was never allowed to be an excuse. The trans issue is noting compared to the character of a self-centered, weak, and spoiled person.
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Bradley Manning could not be trusted, if you define trust as full fledged membership in a social group. He wasn’t a contributor to the flock , or an actor in the troupe, or a runner in the herd. Unfortunately, in the uncertain world of Obama era military, his weakness was his shield, his otherness protected him, but prevented his having loyalty to the larger order which began with his unit. They must have seen this. They must have had institutional experience upon which to draw, institutional memory. They KNEW. Yet he ends up with a job handling state secrets?
The military’s first priority is to invite diversity and then crank out uniformity; that is, to crank out group solidarity. You first become a flock, a school, a herd, an army by becoming more alike. Loyalty should follow. Armies don’t work any other way. Allowing continued membership of the unconverted certainly got soldiers killed at Ft Bragg and probably got others killed in the military intel field due to Bradley’s hemorrhaging of classified information. All this because of the likes of Obama and his fellow travelers, and the leftist-derived cohesion destroying virus that they carry.
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Bradley Manning was a he at the time, and the same experts who support transgender troops say he’s a he now. He’s an attention whoring little turd. We had one like that. He was gone in a week.
The Army is at fault for letting this soup sandwich get through BCT, through AIT, commit multiple assaults of officers and NCOs and take personal devices into controlled areas.
Remember: you just got through telling us how everyone is accountable for everyone else.
EVERYONE in Bradley Manning’s chain fvcked up criminally, from beginning to end.
There is no I in teamwork, but there is a U in “fvckup” and “collective failure.”
The same thing happened during Vietnam when they recruited literal retards who didn’t know how to brush teeth or use toilet paper, and were surprised that they were terrible infantrymen and got men killed.
And this is why no one in the military takes the Army seriously–the “Standards” are purely for show and to be tossed when inconvenient.
There are far fewer incidents of this type in the military than in the Army because the military doesn’t lower standards in a panic when things are a bit short.
Yes, that is insulting. Stop making the same fvckup again and again for 50 years and we’ll stop insulting you for it.
And all that aside, Bradley Manning deserved a firing squad.
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“The Army is at fault for letting this soup sandwich get through BCT, through AIT, commit multiple assaults of officers and NCOs and take personal devices into controlled areas”.
Thanks for this info. I’d be interested in anything you have that explores Bradley’s past.
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Based on the media accounts of Manning’s time in Iraq, I have to agree. His senior NCOs should have taken steps to report him and move him out of access to classified info.
He had an altercation with his immediate supervisor, a female, and the “hyper macho” environment his lawyer complained about doesn’t ring true for me as an analyst. It’s a smart person game, not a break things kind of environment.
Also, even if he was confused about his sexually, it doesn’t excuse him. Plenty of gays served honorably in the military.
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