Army Capt. William Swenson, of Seattle, Washington, calls for air support on his radio as his force was ambushed in the village of Ganjgal in Afghanistan. | Jonathan S. Landay/MCT
Military Commanders Investigated For Mishandling Army’s ‘Lost’ Medal of Honor Nomination -- McClatchy News
WASHINGTON — A Pentagon investigation into how a Medal of Honor nomination was “lost” – possibly because of an improper effort to kill the award – is focused on its mishandling by members of the chain of command that included retired Army Gen. David Petraeus and other senior U.S. commanders.
The investigation is being conducted by the Directorate for Investigations of Senior Officials, a division of the Defense Department Office of Inspector General that handles cases involving top military and civilian defense officials.
“Specifically, officials within the Directorate for Investigations of Senior Officials are conducting an inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the lost recommendation,” the inspector general’s office wrote in a Sept. 3 letter to Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., who pressed for the probe.
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My Comment: Army Capt. William Swenson ruffled a lot of feathers when he criticized the military's rules of engagement in Afghanistan after the battle of Ganjgal. The fact that a McClatchy reporter was present when the battle broke out only gave credence to his complaints .... complaints that resulted in further embarrassment to those who were responsible for these rules. Coupled this with senior officers being "punished" for their actions (or lack of) during the battle of Ganjgal .... I suspect that there were some who were not (and are probably still not) pleased with the actions of one Army Capt. William Swenson. As for the investigation itself .... I will be surprised if this investigation uncovers inappropriate behavior .... it is has been a long time and many have since "moved on". But I do hope that it will serve as a warning to future officers and Generals .... everyone is accountable for their actions, and in a war zone those actions may sometimes lead to an unnecessary death(s)
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