Virtually all of the men depicted in the photos had friends who were killed or wounded by homemade bombs or suicide attacks, according to the soldier who provided the images. But it concluded that force protection measures were “reasonable and prudent” in the face of limited resources. soldiers found that senior members of the battalion had complained about security. The soldier who provided the photos, and two other former members of the battalion, said in separate interviews that they and others had complained of inadequate security at the two bases.Īn Army investigation into a July 2010 suicide attack in Kandahar that killed four U.S. The platoon whose soldiers posed for the photos was part of the battalion. Suicide attacks on two bases of the brigade’s 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment killed six U.S. At least 23 were killed by homemade bombs or suicide bombers. The photos were taken during a yearlong deployment of the 3,500-member brigade, which lost 35 men during that time, according to, a website that tracks casualties. Times Editor Davan Maharaj said, “After careful consideration, we decided that publishing a small but representative selection of the photos would fulfill our obligation to readers to report vigorously and impartially on all aspects of the American mission in Afghanistan, including the allegation that the images reflect a breakdown in unit discipline that was endangering U.S. Kirby added, “We have taken the necessary precautions to protect our troops in the event of any backlash.” Nevertheless, this imagery - more than two years old - now has the potential to indict them all in the minds of local Afghans, inciting violence and perhaps causing needless casualties.” John Kirby, a Pentagon spokesman, said the conduct depicted “most certainly does not represent the character and the professionalism of the great majority of our troops in Afghanistan. military officials asked The Times not to publish any of the pictures.Ĭapt. The brigade, under new command but with some of the same paratroopers who served in 2010, began another tour in Afghanistan in February. bases in Afghanistan in 2010 were not repeated.
He expressed the hope that publication would help ensure that alleged security shortcomings at two U.S. He said the photos point to a breakdown in leadership and discipline that he believed compromised the safety of the troops. He served in Afghanistan with the 82nd Airborne’s 4th Brigade Combat Team from Ft.
#Phantom brigade paratroopers series
The soldier who provided The Times with a series of 18 photos of soldiers posing with corpses did so on condition of anonymity. Army sergeant went on a nighttime shooting rampage in two Afghan villages, killing 17. base triggered riots that left 30 dead and led to the deaths of six Americans. In February, the inadvertent burning of copies of the Koran at a U.S. In January, a video appeared on the Internet showing four U.S. The photos have emerged at a particularly sensitive moment for U.S.-Afghan relations. Most of the soldiers in the photos have been identified, said Lt. Wright said that after the investigation, the Army would “take appropriate action” against those involved. “Such actions fall short of what we expect of our uniformed service members in deployed areas.” “It is a violation of Army standards to pose with corpses for photographs outside of officially sanctioned purposes,” said George Wright, an Army spokesman. The Army launched a criminal investigation after the Los Angeles Times showed officials copies of the photos, which recently were given to the paper by a soldier from the division.
#Phantom brigade paratroopers Patch
Someone placed an unofficial platoon patch reading “Zombie Hunter” next to other remains and took a picture. A soldier leaned over the bearded corpse while clutching the man’s hand. Two soldiers posed holding a dead man’s hand with the middle finger raised. After obtaining a few fingerprints, they posed next to the remains, again grinning and mugging for photographs. Then the mission turned macabre: The paratroopers posed for photos next to Afghan police, grinning while some held - and others squatted beside - the corpse’s severed legs.Ī few months later, the same platoon was dispatched to investigate the remains of three insurgents who Afghan police said had accidentally blown themselves up. The 82nd Airborne Division soldiers arrived at the police station in Afghanistan’s Zabol province in February 2010. Try to get iris scans and fingerprints for identification. The paratroopers had their assignment: Check out reports that Afghan police had recovered the mangled remains of an insurgent suicide bomber.
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